Travis Kelce, widely regarded as one of the finest tight ends in the business, recently shared his top three quarterback-tight end duos, and it comes as no surprise that the dynamic pairing of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski claimed the top spot on his list.
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Although Travis Kelce listed some of the greatest quarterback-tight end duos of all time in his rankings, he notably omitted himself and his own quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, from the list. The omission had a specific reason attached to it.
Travis Kelce Names Top 3 QB-TE Duos, Opts Out of Including Himself and Mahomes
Travis Kelce recently shared his top three quarterback-tight end duos. Travis Kelce couldn’t help but also praised the duo of Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates for their impressive connection on the Gridiron. Surprisingly, Kelce chose not to include himself and his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, on the prestigious list.
Kelce, in a candid interview on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” video segment, ranked the top QB-TE duos in the following order:
- Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski
- Philip Rivers & Antonio Gates
- John Elway & Shannon Sharpe
He said, “Gronk and Tom Brady, F*ucking 2 of the best to do it, number one. Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates those guys were good. That dude[Antonio Gates] was Unstoppable look how many touchdowns Antonio Gates has it is ridiculous I think he has the most touchdowns ever as a tight end so putting them two below yes. Who else who’s my third who’s my third I guess I gotta go Elway and Shannon Sharpe.”
When discussing his decision not to include himself and Mahomes, Kelce explained, “I already made this mistake. I’ve included myself on my own Mount Rushmore, gotta dive down here, and read all the comments… I’m gonna take myself out of it.”
The reason behind Kelce’s omission became clear when he mentioned that he had previously made the mistake of including himself on his own “Mount Rushmore” list, only to face criticism for doing so. Learning from that experience, Kelce decided to avoid any appearance of self-promotion and opted to acknowledge other outstanding duos instead.
Travis Kelce Credits Andy Reid for Revolutionizing TE Position
Travis Kelce also took the opportunity to acknowledge the significant impact of his coach, Andy Reid, on revolutionizing the tight end position in the NFL. He praised Reid for transforming the role of tight ends in the team’s offensive strategies, stating, “He’s switched the entire position. My job in the offense isn’t just to be a typical tight end, you know. I mean, he evolved this thing.”
He further added, “When I first got there, like my first probably five, six years, I was an inline blocker, doing a lot of the full-like tight end stuff in the base game plans and stuff. And now it’s just evolved into a completely different offense because of a guy named Patrick Mahomes, but also because I can do more stuff and kind of affect the perimeter a little bit differently.”
Kelce’s praise for Reid’s innovative approach highlights the coach’s ability to adapt and maximize his players’ unique skill sets, leading to the evolution of the tight end position within the Chiefs’ offense.
Reid’s strategic brilliance, combined with Kelce’s versatility and Patrick Mahomes’ dynamic play, has contributed to the team’s offensive success and solidified Kelce’s position as one of the most dominant and influential tight ends in NFL history.
