Travis Kelce was on his merry way to win a fourth Super Bowl ring when he was derailed by a more spirited Eagles unit and his hopes of a three-peat shattered. For the second straight year, Kelce’s reception stats took a hit, with him snagging just 97 passes, racking up 823 yards and scoring three touchdowns. This slight seems to have given him a chip on the shoulder.
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So despite rumors on the contrary, Kelce is returning to the gridiron for another season. The 35-year-old Kelce said losing the Super Bowl was “probably the biggest factor” in his decision to return. He wants to “give it a good run” after letting the “guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them.” Kelce—the NFL’s all-time leader in playoff receptions—managed just four catches for 39 yards as the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a 40-22 defeat to Philadelphia. Now, he’s locked in to getting that fourth ring.
However, AI will have you believe that Travis Kelce has helped the Chiefs “secure multiple playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory.” A singular Super Bowl victory? That can’t be right. While the first half of that statement is obviously correct, Rob Gronkowski made sure to set the record straight for the latter half.
“AI [is] not right here. Super Bowl victories. Gotta make it plural… he [has] got three, AI… I knew we were smarter than AI,” Gronkowski made sure to point out the blunder. If we wanted another confirmation that Artificial Intelligence ain’t all that intelligent, this would be it.
The Gronk and Julian Edelman have talked a lot about tight ends recently for the Dudes on Dudes podcast. The duo named George Kittle and Travis Kelce to their “All-Dude team” just one week ago. Today, they discussed some of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. They began their conversation with Kelce. But as mentioned before, there was a hiccup when it came to the AI summary of his career. However, it did get some things right.
AI told Gronkowski that Kelce is “widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history,” is “known for his exceptional receiving skills” and “is seen as a charismatic and dedicated individual” off the field.
It further mentioned that Kelce “holds several notable [TE] records… [and is] in the spotlight for dating Taylor Swift [and] co-hosting the popular New Heights podcast with his brother, Jason.” But the slight on Kelce’s rings is unforgivable. Only two tight ends – Randy Grossman (Steelers), Marv Flemming (Packers/Dolphins) and Gronk himself – have won more Super Bowls (4) than Kelce (3).
At 35-years-old, Travis has enjoyed more longevity than most do at TE. Grossman retired at the age of 29, while Marv exited the game at 33. Gronkowski is 35 now, and he’s been retired for 6 years. Yet, Kelce believes he “can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year.” This longevity, according to Julian Edelman, is because Kelce is “slippery.”
Edelman lauds Travis Kelce’s “basketball body”
Once AI’s summary concluded, he praised Kelce’s ability to stay healthy throughout his 12-year career. On top of that, he complimented what he considers to be Kelce’s underrated attributes.
“He’s so slippery… he just has that basketball body where like, he doesn’t get hurt… he’s elegantly running when he runs [and] he’s faster than you think. [He is] stronger than what you think and he’s always in the right position.” – Julian Edelman
Gronkowski added onto the last aspect, saying Kelce “knows how to find an open hole” in zone defense “better than any tight end I have ever seen.” This trait enabled Kelce, in what many labeled a “down year,” to still catch 97 passes last season.
Since his rookie season ended, Kelce has missed just one game (Week 1, 2023) due to injury. He’ll remain a reliable option for Mahomes in 2026 as he tries to add to his legacy. Right now, he has as many Super Bowl wins as Gronkowski and Shannon Sharpe. Another one could vault him into his own tier as the greatest tight end to ever play the game.
