2. Travis Kelce
The difference between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce is that the tight end has already done everything he needs to do to make the Hall of Fame. With the Super Bowl LIV championship, the Chiefs seven year veteran will see his bust enshrined with football’s all-time legends.
Consider this: two First Team All-Pro selections, five consecutive Pro Bowls, the first tight end in NFL history with four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. He is 13th in receiving yards amongst all tight ends in history, and third amongst active players like Jimmy Graham (now of the Chicago Bears), and Rob Gronkowski (now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). He is number two all-time (behind “Gronk”) in receiving yards per game (67.3), and he finds himself in the top 15 in yards per reception and total receptions. The one place that Kelce suffers a little bit, statistically, is in touchdown catches, where is 37 scores rank him outside of the top 20 currently.
But the voters will not hold that against him. Traditionally speaking, if you’re the best player at your position in the NFL for any period of time, particularly multiple seasons on a Super Bowl Championship team, you’re making the Hall of Fame (with kickers and punters being the exceptions).
The questions that still surround Kelce’s enshrinement include: When will it happen? (Five years after he retires.), Who will give his induction speech? (Mahomes if Kelce retires in Kansas City.) Will Kelce scream in to the microphone during his speech? (Probably.) Will he slam and beers during the ceremony? (50-50 chance.)