It's no secret that Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is nearing the end of his illustrious NFL career. Father Time is closing in on him, whether he likes it or not.
Kelce, 36, has been a shell of the dynamic game-changer he once was in recent years, which is normal. Age and physical decline often go hand in hand. However, no one can take away his incredible body of work and status as an all-time great.
Barring any shocking surprises, Kelce will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as soon as he becomes eligible for enshrinement. That's not news to Chiefs fans who have watched him build a legacy in Kansas City over the past decade-plus. And by the sound of it, his positional counterpart, Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals, wholeheartedly agrees.
Travis Kelce, Chiefs fans get the ultimate stamp of approval from Cardinals star TE Trey McBride
McBride is widely considered the cream of the next crop of elite tight ends. FanSided had the opportunity to interview him, and to no surprise of Chiefs Kingdom, he put Kelce on his Mount Rushmore of their position.
“There’s so many guys you could put on there,” McBride said. “Tony Gonzalez, you could put on [Travis] Kelce, you could throw in [George] Kittle, Shannon Sharpe — I’m a Colorado guy. Gronk. I mean, man, the list goes on and on.”
Sure, McBride cheated and gave five names for an exercise that required four, but who's counting? Exlcluding any of the players cited would be a tough omission, and for what it's worth, Kelce was mentioned second. Fittingly, the latter came up following another Chiefs icon: Tony Gonzalez.
McBride set the single-season receptions record for a tight end (126) and earned what figures to be the first of several All-Pro nods in 2025. So, his thoughts on the pantheon of the position shouldn't be taken lightly. He gave the Kansas City faithful even more validation about their priors about Kelce.
Set to become a free agent for the first time ever, there has been speculation that Kelce could finally hang up the cleats. Nevertheless, signs continue to point toward him returning for his 14th season as a pro.
Note: Arizona Cardinals standout tight end Trey McBride spoke on behalf of Rockin' Protein.