Travis Kelce did Tony Gonzalez’s TD celebration after passing him in Chiefs’ record book

Forget what you’ve heard about Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s decline this season.

Kelce showed Wednesday, during the Chiefs’ Christmas Day game against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, that he’s still going strong.

Late in the third quarter, Kelce made the 1,000th reception of his career, joining a list of just 15 pass-catchers to reach that milestone. No. 1,000 pulled Kelce into a tie with former Steelers receiver Hines Ward.

A few minutes later, Kelce caught another pass and moved to No. 14 on the career list.

“Doesn’t appear to be missing too much,” Netflix analyst J.J. Watt and former NFL star noted during the broadcast.

Jerry Rice holds the NFL record with 1,549 career receptions.

That wasn’t the only noteworthy achievement on Wednesday for Kelce. He also broke a tie with Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown receptions in Chiefs history with 77.

Gonzalez had 76 in his time with the Chiefs.

To celebrate having the record to himself, Kelce did Gonzalez’s signature celebration by spiking the ball over the crossbar.

Unfortunately, that’s a penalty these days for unsportsmanlike conduct. But Kelce likely didn’t care.

“Tony has been a mentor to me,” Kelce said in a Netflix interview after the game. “He’s been right there for me, any questions I’ve ever had. I feel like I’m still trying to fill that guy’s shoes. He’s such an unbelievable competitor, and I got so much love for him, and it’s just an honor to even be in conversations with him.”

him.

An NFL record, too

But, wait, there’s more: Kelce went over 90 receptions for the season on Wednesday. That’s the longest streak by any player in NFL history, Opta Stats noted.

No other tight end has ever had 90 or more catches in more than two consecutive seasons, Opta said.