Did I accidentally go back in time last night?
I could have sworn I sat down to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football in 2026, but as one specific Chief made play after play, it felt like I was watching a game from five years ago instead.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce was fantastic against the Colts, turning back the clock with a vintage, record-setting performance that proved to the NFL world that he has, without a doubt, still got it.
Kelce was one of the standouts for the Chiefs with 101 receiving yards on 9 catches, both game-highs, and he rumbled into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season as Kansas City edged past Indianapolis 33-30.
It was reminiscent of the kind of games we would see from Kelce at the start of the decade. His almost telepathic connection with Patrick Mahomes was on full display, and the Colts had no answer for it.
Kelce was able to find pockets of space to sit in time and time again. He was able to make defenders miss in the open field, and on his touchdown catch, we saw that he still has the shiftiness and the speed to beat a defender one-on-one.
"One of the most magical combinations in the history of the league." - @CollinsworthPFF pic.twitter.com/6ZE8hbHWYs
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2026
It was awesome to watch. But because it was also the kind of performance we’ve become so used to seeing from Kelce, it’s easy to forget how special what we’re watching really is. Sunday helped put what we’re witnessing back into perspective.
Kelce's 110-yard effort was the 48th time he eclipsed the 100-yard mark in his career (including the regular season and playoffs). That's 12 more than any other tight end, and his first since the 2024 Divisional Round against the Houston Texans. Kelce has three of Kansas City's five most recent 100-yard receiving games.
And Kelce also wrote himself into the record books again on Sunday night. He had 66 yards after the catch, and he is now the NFL’s all-time leader in yards after a catch, overtaking the record previously held by Marshall Faulk.
Aaalright nah, @tkelce 🏹 pic.twitter.com/IatFyQH3do
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 21, 2026
Two weeks into the season, Kelce ranks first in the NFL in YAC ahead of Bijan Robinson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s on track for what would be the eighth 1,000-yard season of his career. Not bad for a player in his 14th season in the league.
We’ve always known Kelce was a magical tight end, but Sunday’s game showed he still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. I just never realized time travel was one of them.
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