In the past decade, the Kansas City Chiefs became the team to beat in football. Like the previous dynasty, they had the best quarterback and tight end duo in the game, and similarly, they looked poised to become the greatest team of all time.
While they still have some catching up to do to Tom Brady's New England Patriots in terms of silverware, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are certainly giving them a run for their money. Everybody knows the excellence of both quarterbacks and the tight ends, in Kelce and Rob Gronkowski, while having different skillsets, they still dominated their opponents.
Kelce topped several of Gronkowski's playoff records, and most fans would agree that they should rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the list of all-time greats at the position, regardless of the order. That's why, in an appearance on Kelce's "New Heights" podcast, Brady fantasized about how he'd used him if they had played together:
"You've had a unique athleticism, Trav. Silky-smooth route runner, incredible feel out there. I think if I played with you, you would've had 110, 120 [catches] a year," Brady said. "Not that you don't have that with Patrick [Mahomes], but I like your style of play because I feel like there was a way you ran routes and you always had an ability to feel the coverage. Some guys don't really have that feel, but I just watch you play, and I'm like, 'Yep, just like that.'"
From one Hall of Fame QB to another, Brady explains how Kelce's career would have been altered
As enticing as this might be, it's safe to say Kelce did pretty well for himself in Kansas City. He's topped 100 receptions three times in his career, and it's not like the Chiefs needed him to do more than what he did.
Fans are often fixated with the Kelce-Gronkowski debate, but it's actually pretty futile. They're both all-time greats in their crafts, and while they share similar traits, they were also very different in how they dominated.
Both of them were elite at going off-script, leaving the route, and finding gaps at all levels of the defense to always stay open. Their ability to shake off defenders was second to none among tight ends.
However, Gronk was a much more physical player, both as a blocker and in the open field. He was a bully, someone who looked for contact and enjoyed watching fear in his opposition's face as he rolled him over like a bulldozer. That consistent beating on his body took a toll, however, causing Grink to miss a sizable amount of games.
Kelce was much more about finesse, patience, and finding running lanes in the open field. It's not that he couldn't be as physical as Gronk, but he was more about avoiding contact and maximizing his strides, making sure that he could provide value week after week.
At the end of the day, the Chiefs couldn't have gone wrong either way, and neither could the Patriots. And as much admiration as Kelce may feel for Brady, he should have no regrets about how things turned out for him once Patrick Mahomes took the reins of the offense.
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