The NFLPA announced its second annual Players’ All-Pro team, and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce made the first team.
This selection comes as a surprise to many as Kelce and the Chiefs are in the midst of a down year. Kelce had under 1000 yards receiving for the first time since 2015.
Kelce’s five receiving touchdowns are the lowest he’s had since 2019. There were six other NFL tight ends with more receiving touchdowns than Kelce. Kelce only eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice this year as a receiver.
There is an argument to be made that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce deserves the spot
It is important to mention Kelce chose to sit out in the week 18 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was sitting at 984 receiving yards on the season, and that extra game could have pushed him over that 1,000-yard mark.
The week 18 game against the Chargers also could have given him the most receiving yards for a tight end as he needed just 36 yards to catch San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who finished with 1,020 receiving yards.
Kelce, who played in just 15 games this year, was third in receptions among tight ends with 93. Despite not being at the top in total receiving yards, Kelce led all tight ends with 65.6 receiving yards per game. His best game came against the Chargers when Kelce had 12 receptions and 179 yards receiving.
In an article from the USA Today Chiefs Wire, a veteran NFL scout explained why Kelce is able to remain at the top of the list of tight ends year in and year out.
