Kansas City Chiefs Tight Ends Travis Kelce And Tony Gonzalez Share Tight Bond

Travis Kelce ranks fifth all time in NFL historical past in receiving yards amongst tight ends. On the No. 1 tight finish perch is Tony Gonzalez, a fellow Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish, with 15,127 yards.

Requested about reaching that report at some point, Kelce interjected.

“Nonetheless a loooong methods away,” he mentioned.

Kelce now has 9,559 yards in 134 video games. Gonzalez — who performed in 270 profession video games, together with with the Chiefs from 1997 to 2008 — is rooting for him.

“I’m so happy with him,” Gonzalez solely shared. “I need him to take this place so far as he can take it. I’m not a kind of crotchety, outdated males, who speak about data and all that stuff. Hey, you possibly can go get ’em, Travis!”

Gonzalez received loads of receptions and touchdowns throughout his 17-year profession. His 1,325 receptions rank first amongst tight ends and third amongst all NFL gamers, and his 111 receiving touchdowns rank second amongst all tight ends in NFL historical past.

Gonzalez’s final yr of that Corridor of Fame profession was in 2013, which coincided with Kelce’s rookie yr.

Shortly into that Chiefs tenure — having heard from these within the Chiefs group raving about Gonzalez’s work ethic — Kelce reached out to the veteran tight finish for ideas.

Gonzalez harassed the significance of exhausting work and ensuring he caught additional balls earlier than and after apply. He instructed him to deal with the place his eyes and palms have been for each catch.

“Every little thing he was saying was right down to the tiny element — whether or not it’s the approach or I’m watching movie,” mentioned Kelce, who spoke on behalf of a Tide marketing campaign encouraging followers to scrub their favourite jersey with Tide’s Hygienic Clear Heavy Responsibility 10X Energy PODS. “He instructed me precisely what I wanted to listen to.”

Kelce texted again an image of one in every of Gonzalez’s highlights, displaying he was learning Gonzalez’s routes on movie.

Now the tables have turned on their movie overview.

“I’ve been watching him like a hawk,” Gonzalez mentioned.

The 2 tight ends additionally message one another, particularly when Gonzalez goes to be in Kansas Metropolis.

When Gonzalez was final on the town as a part of his co-hosting duties on Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night time Soccer, which featured the Chiefs internet hosting the Los Angeles Chargers as its inaugural sport, Kelce invited him to the after-party he was throwing.

The 46-year-old Gonzalez, although, joked that he didn’t make it out as a result of he was too outdated and wanted his sleep.

“It’s like my uncle from rising up,” Kelce mentioned. “It’s been very cool. We’ve stored in contact 100% all through the years.”

Certainly one of their most significant interactions got here throughout Tremendous Bowl LIV. Earlier than Gonzalez was with Amazon Prime Video, he labored for FOX, which broadcast the Chiefs’ win in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers. So Gonzalez was on the sideline for the waning seconds of Kansas Metropolis’s first Tremendous Bowl victory in 50 years.

He embraced Kelce.

“I used to be so pleased for him,” Gonzalez mentioned.

Throughout the lead-up to that Tremendous Bowl, which matched Kelce in opposition to the 49ers and tight finish George Kittle, Gonzalez in contrast Kittle to a HEMI, the engine for Chrysler muscle automobiles, and Kelce to a Mercedes.

The rugged, 6-5, 250-pound Kelce cackled upon listening to Gonzalez’s description earlier than noting he’d be a part of Mercedes’ four-wheel-drive line.

“If I’m a Mercedes, I’m just like the G-wagon. You understand what I imply?” Kelce mentioned. “I’m just like the navy model.”

The Mercedes and Hemi raced down the sector once more final Sunday. The Chiefs received 44-23, and every had precisely 98 receiving yards on National Tight Ends Day.

Greater than the statistics, although, Gonzalez is impressed by Kelce’s method to the sport.

“The man’s a psychological murderer,” Gonzalez mentioned. “That’s actually what separates good gamers from nice gamers.”

Requested about Kelce’s on-the-field talents, Gonzalez then began to scat out a melody.

“His route working is — I might say — like clean jazz,” Gonzalez mentioned, “simply so silky, silky clean.”

However he’s additionally powerful to carry down.

With 1:21 left within the first half of Sunday’s sport in opposition to the 49ers, the Chiefs have been backed up at their very own eight-yard line. Kelce went in movement, caught a move on the left facet after which broke the deal with of linebacker Dre Greenlaw earlier than weaving round cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. On the 22 yard-gain, 16 of the yards have been after the catch.

Gonzalez mentioned that yard-after-catch means is best than any tight finish he’s ever seen.

“I’ve at all times admired that a part of his sport,” Gonzalez mentioned. “When he will get the ball in his palms, the way in which he could make folks miss — he’s like Gumby. It’s bizarre the way in which he can contort his physique.”

The Gumby-like Kelce can bend, however will he break Gonzalez’s tight finish data of 1,325 receptions for 15,127 yards?

Gonzalez performed till age 37, and Kelce, who has three years left on his Chiefs contract after this season, turned 33 earlier this month.

Kelce is on tempo for 114 catches and 1,343 receiving yards this season. If these find yourself as his closing numbers for 2022, he would wish to common 126.75 receptions and 1,194.5 yards over the following 4 seasons or 101.4 receptions and 955.6 yards over the following 5 simply to tie Gonzalez’s numbers.

“It’s all about (staying) wholesome,” Gonzalez mentioned. “He’s a received a shot to interrupt it, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he does. I might not be shocked in any respect.”

Kelce downplayed his pursuit of Gonzalez’s statistics, noting he simply takes pleasure in carrying on the legacy of nice tight ends in Kansas Metropolis.

“I come into a corporation that has the best tight finish to ever play the sport and I’ve received to fill that man’s sneakers,” Kelce mentioned. “Not essentially fill his sneakers as a result of I’m nonetheless one other lifetime behind catching any of his profession numbers, however it’s been cool to have success and type of get the nod that I’ve been dominating video games like 88 had performed for therefore many, so a few years.”