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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce sets all-time franchise receiving record

Dolphins Chiefs Football
Posted at 3:04 PM, Nov 05, 2023
and last updated 2023-11-05 16:04:24-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Taylor Swift wasn’t in Frankfurt, Germany, as she prepares for the resumption of her wildly successful “The Eras Tour.”

So, it’s no surprise that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce didn’t have a monster game, given his recent splits when she’s at the game or elsewhere.

Kelce only had three catches for 14 yards in the Chiefs’ 21-14 win against Miami on Sunday, but it was enough for yet another milestone in his Hall of Fame career.

Kelce — an 11th-year, eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro — now has 10,941 career receiving yards, which moved him one yard past Tony Gonzalez for the most in franchise history.

Kelce now has 871 receptions for 10,941 with 73 touchdowns in his NFL career, while Gonzalez totaled 916 catches for 10,940 yards with 76 touchdowns in 12 seasons with the Chiefs.

“Listen, I didn’t give him the ball enough, but this guy’s a great player,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “He gets better and better. They were aware of him and it allowed other guys to make some plays with some of the schemes they were using.”

Reid said the Dolphins tailored their offense around stopping Kelce. It certainly limited his production and kept the Chiefs’ offense off-kilter, though it wasn’t enough to claim victory, and Kelce still had an impact without catching the ball.

“They did a nice job playing the combination coverage there, so there wasn’t a lot of space for him, breaking in or out,” Reid said. “But, you’re right in that he did a lot of the support things very well.”

Kelce was lined up opposite Rashee Rice on Kansas City’s opening drive touchdown, drawing multiple Miami defenders and giving a blocking advantage as Rice scampered into the end zone.

It was Kelce’s clear out, dragging multiple Dolphins across the field from right to left that allowed Jerick McKinnon to pop wide open underneath later in the first half.

“He always has a great attitude about it,” Reid said. “I said to him, ‘Doggone it, I need to get the ball to you a little more,’ and he goes, ‘Hey, the offensive line played great. We were running the ball well.’ I appreciate that attitude.”

Kelce wasn’t made available at the podium in Frankfurt, but Reid lauded him as a “great player, great kid and a great leader.”