Will Kelce play long enough to break all TE records

[Balto]

Going with the "Will Reid end up coaching long enough to become all time wins HC" thread.

Will Kelce play long enough to break all the TE records?

REC Yards: 15,127 Tony G, Travis at 11,328
REC: 1,325 Tony G, Travis at 907
TDs: 116 Gates, Travis at 74

REC YDS/G: 71.2 Travis

Thoughts?

[Blaker32]

He won't play long enough to catch Gonzalez in stats largely because Gonzalez played 270 games over 17 season. Kelce has only played in 159 games entering his 11th season. That said, I think he will pass Gonzalez as the widely consensus greatest TE of All Time.

The NFL tracks playoff stats and regular season stats differently and doesn't combine them for career totals. If they were to do that Gonzalez would have 277 career games, 1355 receptions, 15413 yards, and 115 touchdowns. Kelce as of the start of this season would have 181 games, 1072 receptions, 13231 yards, and 93 touchdowns. If he just plays two more healthy years with slightly declining production and a couple of trips to the playoffs he will get close if you use all games played instead of just regular season.

[TNTEICHER]

I think the stat that Kelce wants most is Superbowls won.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by wazu

In this clip Travis basically indicates his cue to leave will be when his body breaks down and he can no longer do it. I still think that happens before he breaks these regular season stat records, but as long as the Chiefs are top contenders to win it all and his body is able to go, I don't buy for a minute he'll just step aside to "go out on top" or be an actor or anything else.

Travis on the @RichEisenShow pic.twitter.com/yRmYUZceXz

— Travis Kelce Fan Page (@traviskelce_fan) September 3, 2024

Yeah, it seems like a lot of posters in this thread haven't ever heard his responses to these types of questions. He loves the game and he's playing with one of his really good friends. It's like people forget that he's been playing football for 25+ years and for a guy like him it is real hard to hang them up. The only I see him retiring is if he gets injured or he isn't able to contribute at a high level.

Like what is making him retire other than that? His gf is a mega star that is constantly gone and doing things in her career that keeps her away from home. It's not like he has a wife at home that is tired of him being gone. He doesn't have kids to make him feel bad for missing out on there lives.

Also I hate this going on out top shit. Why would he call it quits after a 3-peat? Why wouldn't be like hell yeah I wanna keep that rolling and go for 4 or 5 in a row.

[DrunkBassGuitar]

he's gonna do it this season

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by JimNasium

That’s my fear. If he helps secure the threepeat and is still with Taylor, the pressure to go out on top will be amplified.

Plus, dude will kill it with his career after football. Records are great, but if he ends with a 3peat and healthy at 35.. bank in the retirement life.

[JimNasium]

Originally Posted by TNTEICHER

I think the stat that Kelce wants most is Superbowls won.

One more ties him with Gronk. I would assume the record number of rings for a TE is four?

[Otter]

Highly, highly doubtful.

That's 4 more seasons in yards alone the way Patrick spreads the ball around and he's been getting up slower and slower late season. Plus the $50 million he gets to split with his brother in podcast money and a hot multi-millionaire girlfriend.

Probably about 3% probability.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Plus, dude will kill it with his career after football. Records are great, but if he ends with a 3peat and healthy at 35.. bank in the retirement life.

Why would he want to quit the game he loves just to retire. He doesn't have any reason to stop playing. If he quits prematurely when he's still one of the top 3 TEs in the league, then he knows he will regret it.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Plus, dude will kill it with his career after football. Records are great, but if he ends with a 3peat and healthy at 35.. bank in the retirement life.

I suspect ulterior motives in this post.

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by Blaker32

He won't play long enough to catch Gonzalez in stats largely because Gonzalez played 270 games over 17 season. Kelce has only played in 159 games entering his 11th season. That said, I think he will pass Gonzalez as the widely consensus greatest TE of All Time.

The NFL tracks playoff stats and regular season stats differently and doesn't combine them for career totals. If they were to do that Gonzalez would have 277 career games, 1355 receptions, 15413 yards, and 115 touchdowns. Kelce as of the start of this season would have 181 games, 1072 receptions, 13231 yards, and 93 touchdowns. If he just plays two more healthy years with slightly declining production and a couple of trips to the playoffs he will get close if you use all games played instead of just regular season.

You’re not looking at it right

Kelce is 35

Gonzo retired at 37.

That’s up there in age.

[Balto]

Kelce will pass Rice this season for playoff Yards(Needs 343) and TDs(Needs 4).

[ForeverIowan]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

This.

At first I thought he would do 2 more years guaranteed (the extension) but the more i think about it, if he finishes off the 3 peat this year, why come back? He will have nothing left to prove or accomplish. Kelce has already said he doesn't really care about all time records. He's got a billionaire g/f, a 100 mil. dollar podcast with his brother (who also just hung em up), he's still in pretty good shape and relatively healthy for a guy who's been playing NFL FB full time for 10+ years.

The appeal to 'enjoy the good life' will be too much I think. He'll also have a million off the field opportunities (movies, TV, broadcasting, etc.) so why continue 'the grind'. He's made it (in every way possible) and he'll still be in his mid 30's. That's a hell of a career.

People keep referring to it as a grind. Working 9-5 five days a week in an office cubicle is a grind. 40+ hours a week of manual labor is a grind. Im not so sure being a superstar in the NFL and playing in Super Bowls is a "grind." That type of stuff cant be duplicated once you retire. Kelce himself said he still loves and has the energy to practice. These guys live for this shit. He is still the best TE in the game coming off an incredible playoff run. It isn't like he is dragging ass out there and a shell of himself. He isnt walking away after this year. Id put a large sum of $ behind that.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

People keep referring to it as a grind. Working 9-5 five days a week in an office cubicle is a grind. 40+ hours a week of manual labor is a grind. Im not so sure being a superstar in the NFL and playing in Super Bowls is a "grind." That type of stuff cant be duplicated once you retire. Kelce himself said he still loves and has the energy to practice. These guys live for this shit. He is still the best TE in the game coming off an incredible playoff run. It isn't like he is dragging ass out there and a shell of himself. He isnt walking away after this year. Id put a large sum of $ behind that.

These guys are 25% wrecked by the time they make the NFL.

Not even getting in to a PEDs or steroids conversation, but the amount of pain management and inflammatory drugs these guys take takes a toll. And that's on top of the physical stresses and contact that got them on those meds in the first place.

[ForeverIowan]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

These guys are 25% wrecked by the time they make the NFL.

Not even getting in to a PEDs or steroids conversation, but the amount of pain management and inflammatory drugs these guys take takes a toll. And that's on top of the physical stresses and contact that got them on those meds in the first place.

If his performance really starts to decline and it doesn't look like he's having fun out there anymore I may change my tone. Some of those clips from camp of him high stepping and taunting though...he is having a blast and playing at as high of a level as anyone ever has at the position. Dude was unstoppable in the Buffalo and Baltimore games in the playoffs. With Worthy and Hollywood stretching the field he is in for a big season.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

People keep referring to it as a grind. Working 9-5 five days a week in an office cubicle is a grind. 40+ hours a week of manual labor is a grind. Im not so sure being a superstar in the NFL and playing in Super Bowls is a "grind." That type of stuff cant be duplicated once you retire. Kelce himself said he still loves and has the energy to practice. These guys live for this shit. He is still the best TE in the game coming off an incredible playoff run. It isn't like he is dragging ass out there and a shell of himself. He isnt walking away after this year. Id put a large sum of $ behind that.

Everyone saw "Kelce" on Prime, no? When Jason was hobbling around with heavily wrapped up knees, shoulder, etc., trying to play with his kids?

Now, I get it, Travis isn't a C, so he's not getting beat up the way Jason was his entire career. But for the last two-three seasons Travis has been saying how much harder it is to get himself physically ready for the season. That's, I think, the 'grind' we're talking about. It's the physical toll the game takes on players' bodies. And then the grind of having to get ready again after every season.

And every time a player goes onto the field, they are literally risking their long-term health. And it only takes one hit. It doesn't have to be cumulative.

And now, with Taylor possibly becoming his future (ex, jk) wife, and all of his off-field projects, Travis might not want to put himself through all of that and risk his health one day soon. It's possible.