It’s time to change the conversation around Travis Kelce’s greatness

It’s time to change the conversation around Travis Kelce’s greatness to historic levels.

For the first half of his career in the National Football League, the conversation around Travis Kelce has been one about present supremacy. At this juncture, shortly after yet another long-term extension from the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s time to change that conversation to something else—something more important.

On Thursday, word leaked about a new four-year agreement between the Chiefs and Kelce that will keep the perennial Pro Bowl tight end with the team through the likely end of his career. Kelce had two years remaining (including the upcoming 2020 season) on his current five-year, $46 million deal signed back in 2016. The new extension adds four more years worth up to an additional $57-plus million.

The extensive work by the Chiefs front office to secure Kelce’s services for the duration of his playing days shows just how valuable he is to the team and how feared he is by the league. And, at this point, after six consecutive years of very good to elite production, a conversational shift is needed when it comes to Travis Kelce.

Typically the conversation around Kelce has been about whether or not he is the best tight end in the NFL. At first it was Rob Gronkowski. Then it was George Kittle. Whether at the beginning or the middle of his career, Kelce has been either the best or second best tight end in the league since he became such a mismatch a couple years into his tenure on an Andy Reid-led offense.

That debate might continue for some, due to sports media’s needs to rank anything and everyone, but at this point, the discussion is boring. The points aren’t worth making. Of course, Kelce is the best. Of course, he is elite. Of course, he’s going to be included in a list of top offensive weapons, pass catchers, tight ends, or even overall players in the NFL. Kelce is truly great.

At this point, a 1,000 yard season from Kelce feels like a given. He’s one of the single safest player production bets in the NFL. For that reason, it’s time to start talking about Kelce in light of his career—that is, in historical terms that frame his production next to the greatest to ever play the game.

Chiefs fans know a little something about great tight ends considering that they watched the very best of all time for the majority of his career in Tony Gonzalez. It’s remarkable that the exact same franchise was able to employ another all-time NFL great in Kelce only a few years after trading Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons.

But even that last statement begs the question: is Kelce an all-time great? This is where the conversation needs to go when it comes to Kelce. Yes, Kelce is an elite tight end who is going to earn Pro Bowl invites and All-Pro honors for the foreseeable future. That’s automatic, assuming he’s healthy. What’s intriguing, at present, about Kelce is how he stacks up compared to the greats who have ever played the position.

From here on out, Kelce’s production shouldn’t be charted against the likes of Kittle or Zach Ertz or even those who could rise to stardom at the position like T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant. He needs to be mentioned alongside Gonzalez and Gates, Winslow and Witten. One conversation is old, while another one—his long-term greatness—is finally coming into view.