Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce turned back the clock vs. Indianapolis Colts and made NFL history in the process
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is not only the NFL’s leader in career yards-after-catch, but he’s also on pace for the best season of his career in Year 14.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce put up a classic performance on “Sunday Night Football” against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.
Kelce caught nine passes on 11 targets, recording 101 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 33-30 overtime win. It was his first game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown since 2023. The game was the final notch in the belt needed to unlock a special piece of NFL history.
After recording 128 yards-after-catch (YAC) through two weeks, Kelce is now the NFL’s all-time leader in yards-after-catch. Kelce surpassed Marshall Faulk’s all-time mark of 6,230 yards after the catch, and in a game against the Colts, no less. The 36-year-old Kelce now has 6,287 yards after the catch in his 14-year NFL career.
Kelce didn’t even know heading into the game that he was so close to the record.
“I had no idea,” Kelce said. “It’s pretty freaking cool, man. To be in the talks with guys like Marshall Faulk, Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens? That’s some pretty cool stuff, man. Those are the guys that I grew up watching. I didn’t mean to make Larry feel old, but he was my first college football game I ever saw. So, guys like that fueled my love for this game. So, to be accomplishing a feat that they did, you know, it’s pretty cool.”
Kelce and Faulk are the only two players in NFL history with over 6,000 yards after the catch. It’s just more proof that the 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end has been one of the best players in NFL history, regardless of position, at creating yards for himself.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is on pace for the best season of his career
Kelce is very much so turning back the clock to start the 2026 NFL season. Through two games, his average route speed is the highest it’s been since 2022 (via Nate Tice, NFL Next Gen Stats). Kelce’s 12 receptions for 172 receiving yards through two weeks rank third among tight ends so far this season. If Kelce maintains his current pace through two games, he’d finish the 2026 NFL season with 102 catches, 1,462 yards, and 9 touchdowns.
Why is Kelce having such success to start the 2026 NFL season? Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had some thoughts after the game on Sunday.
“Yeah, (TE Travis Kelce) he’s just still doing it,” Mahomes said. “He knows how to get open, and he can make guys miss and so for him to go out there and make the plays that he made in the big moments of the game, that’s who he’s always been and I think just as much as it’s kind of cleaned up the game for me, I think having (RB) Kenneth (Walker) and the way he’s run the ball gets him into these matchups that he’s going to win, and he showed that today.”
With a game against the 0-2 Miami Dolphins in Week 3, there are no signs of slowing down for Kelce and the Chiefs.
