It was simply a memorable Christmas Day for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce of Westlake, Ohio. The nine-year Pro Bowler set a Chiefs franchise record for most touchdown catches in a career.
Kelce caught a 12 yard touchdown from Patrick Mahomes with 12 minutes and 38 seconds left to close out the scoring in a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He now has 77 touchdown catches, which passes the Chiefs franchise record of 76 touchdown catches set by Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez of Torrance, California, who accomplished the feat from 1997 to 2007. Kelce has been with the Chiefs since 2013. With the win, the Chiefs set a franchise record for most wins in a season with 15, and clinched the first seed in the American Football Conference.
Kelce also caught his 1000th pass in his career on Wednesday. It came on a 19 yard catch from Mahomes with two minutes and nine seconds left in the third quarter. Ironically, it looked like Kelce was attempting a lateral on the play but could not find a Chief player open. Kelce finished the game with eight catches for 84 yards.
There have been only two other tight ends in NFL history with 1000 receptions. They are Gonzalez and Jason Witten of Elizabethton, Tennessee. Gonzalez had 1325 receptions with the Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2013. Witten had 1228 receptions with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2020.
Kelce now has 1004 career receptions. He is in fact the NFL active leader in catches. Ironically, it is Chiefs wide receiver Deandre Hopkins of Central, South Carolina who is second on the list with 984.
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