The Kansas City Chiefs' history at the tight end position rivals probably any other franchise in the NFL. It's a position that has grown over the years into becoming a more coveted part of every offense, not only from a blocking aspect but a receiving standpoint as well. That said, let's not bury the lead.
Below is KC Kingdom's fifth installment in our ongoing offseason series: "Chiefs All-Time Mount Rushmore," where, at tight end, legends are pretty easy to find.
Tony Gonzalez and Travis Kelce have notched their spots in football nirvana
"Classy": Fred Arbanas
A continuation of selecting Mount Rushmore level-players from the franchise's early days in the 1960s is tight end Fred Arbanas. Another one of the team's first legends, Arbanas' first year was on the Dallas Texans in 1962 when they went 11-3 and won the AFL Championship. He put up, in his rookie season, 469 yards on over 16 yards per catch and six touchdowns while making the Pro-Bowl and second-team All-Pro.
A year later, the team moved to Kansas City and rebranded as the Chiefs, where Arbanas continued to flourish. He was a leaner and quicker tight end for his time at 6'3", 240 lbs, but his speed and athleticism made him so dangerous in the open field. Arbanas remained a Chief for the whole of his career when he retired after the 1970 season at the age of 31, and was given the nickname "classy" by Hall of Fame head coach Hank Stram for how he carried himself both on and off the field.
Altogether, Arbanas made three first-team All-Pros, two second-teams, five Pro-Bowls, and not only won the team AFL title in '62, but was also part of the Chiefs first ever Super Bowl victory in 1969. He ranks first among all Chiefs tight ends who have played a meaningful role at 15.7 yards per catch over the span of his career. Arbanas' best season came in '64 when he put up 686 yards and eight scores. Who knew his statistical production was just the start for the franchise's historic positional success?
6th O-Lineman: Jason Dunn
This selection may have been a shock to some, as Dunn was the player I chose over another very good Chiefs tight end, lost to history in Walter White (no, not the Breaking Bad character). But given Dunn's unique impact as a blocker in an era of Chiefs football that was heavily predicated on running the football, I think he deserves a spot on this coveted list. After four years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dunn came to Kansas City off a serious knee injury that caused him to alter his approach to the game as more of a blocker than a pass-catcher.
And because KC had the great Tony Gonzalez to throw to at TE (who we'll get to momentarily), it was the perfect role for Dunn. At 6'6" and nearly 280 lbs, he was a massive individual who was almost as strong and stout as an o-lineman, but faster on his feet and had no problem getting upfield to the second level of the defense to open up running lanes. Dunn was virtually a sixth offensive lineman on the field for the Chiefs during an era of football that was so heavy on the ground and pound game.
He helped tremendously in Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson's multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and double-digit touchdown carries year after year. Not to mention Dunn scored seven touchdowns over his eight-year stint in KC. He wasn't the flashiest of players, but Dunn was always the guy in the trenches nobody talked about but who made things go for those early-2000s Chiefs offenses.
Gonzo: Tony Gonzalez
What Tony Gonzalez was able to accomplish during his 12-year stint in Kansas City with middling to downright awful quarterback play, a run-first offense, and an overall football formula that before him did not typically feature a pass-catching tight end was extraordinary. The Chiefs drafted Gonzalez 13th overall in the 1997 draft, and his first couple of years were a pretty slow burn. But in 1999, he broke out with 849 yards on 76 catches and 11 TDs. He made his first Pro-Bowl and first-team All-Pro.
From then on, Tony G was recognized as one of, if not the best, with a bullet tight end in the league, and a 250 lb wrecking ball in the open field and in the red zone. Gonzalez's best Chiefs season can be argued as he had so many impressive ones and quite honestly got robbed of a couple more first-team All-Pro honors. He accumulated four separate 1,000-plus yard seasons, three double-digit scoring seasons, and was an ironman, missing just two games in his entire time as a Chief.
Gonzalez was a Pro-Bowler from 1999-2008 and made five first-team All-Pros with the Chiefs before going to Atlanta for five years and making another four Pro-Bowls and another first-team AP. Before the last guy on this list came along, Gonzalez sat comfortably atop the Chiefs' all-time leaderboard in total receiving yards (10,940), receptions (916), and TDs (76). Tony Gonzalez was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame shortly after.
Zues: Travis Kelce
If you're like me, as a younger Chiefs fan, Travis Kelce is all I've really known at the tight end position for nearly the entirety of my football memory. And what a blessing that has been and will continue to be, at least for this upcoming 2026 season. Unlike Gonzalez, Kelce was not a coveted draft pick, but rather a third-round selection made by the Chiefs in 2013. The athleticism and talent were clear as day, but his on-field attitude and hotheadedness were an ongoing issue during his rookie season. But once he finally wised up, Kelce's stock skyrocketed to heights unimaginable.
2015 was his first Pro-Bowl season, as he hit nearly 900 yards and five scores. Kelce was quickly turning into not just a really good athlete for his size at 6'5", 250 lbs, but a savvy route-runner and a football IQ that was growing along with him. Like Gonzo, Kelce rarely ever missed a game, playing between 15 and 17 games from 2014 to the present day. His earlier days were spent with Alex Smith, and since 2018, catching lasers from Patrick Mahomes.
From 2016-2022, Kelce put together an unprecedented streak of seven consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons, blowing the door clean off the record at his position and behind just three wide receivers all-time in that accomplishment, two of them being Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. His numbers in the regular season earned Kelce 11-straight Pro-Bowl selections, four first-team All-Pros, three second-team APs, and two seasons where he came in the top-six for Offensive Player of the Year voting.
What Kelce has been able to accomplish in the playoffs, however, might be even more impressive. From 2018-2023, Kelce played in 18 playoff games, one game more than what would be a full regular season. In those games, Kelce has accumulated a ridiculous 142 receptions on an 82.6% catch rate, for 1,609 yards (11.3 YPC), 18 TDs, and 90 first downs. And in that span, Kelce was the number one offensive option on three different Super Bowl-winning teams, who made the big game five times in six seasons.
Kelce's football accomplishments could fill an entire book, as he tops Chiefs history in basically every meaningful receiving category and will for a long, long time. He means so much to the not only the franchise and fans, but also the people in the Kansas City community with his charity work through his own organization 87 & Running Foundation. Travis Kelce is forever a Chiefs legend and in many eyes the best tight end to ever play.
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