Travis Kelce Drop-Off? Patriots Legend Rob Gronkowski Backs Chiefs Tight End

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is likely headed for another Pro Bowl appearance.

He’s turning in another terrific season as the go-to option for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City’s offense, recording 80 receptions for 896 yards — the most of any tight end in the league — and five touchdowns going into Sunday’s matchup with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

But most of that production from Kelce came over the first half of the season. He has just one touchdown in the last six games and hasn’t tallied more than seven receptions in a single contest during that span.

The dip in production has some believing the 34-year-old is starting to slow down as he comes to the end of his 11th NFL season.

But Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski, who Kelce is always measured to, isn’t buying that this is the start of Kelce’s demise.

“Sometimes numbers will drop because it’s a team game,” Gronkowski told Forbes. “He doesn’t really have that much help from the wide receiver position, but when you do see the ball in his hands, he looks like the same player he has been the last decade. The guy’s moving, he’s getting open, he’s making plays, he’s making defenders miss, he’s shaking off defenders to get open at the top of the routes. So don’t really see a drop-off at all.”

A terrific showing from Kelce in the stadium that Gronkowski thrived in for years could catapult the Chiefs pass-catcher to 1,000 yards receiving. It would be the eighth consecutive season Kelce hit that mark. Gronkowski only had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons, doing it back-to-back just once.

There’s plenty of debate that follows Gronkowski and Kelce to try to determine who is the better tight end. Gronkowski never engages in that kind of talk and always takes time to give Kelce his flowers.

“He deserves all the honors that he’s getting,” Gronkowski said. “And I don’t think his play has dropped off much at all, man. I truly don’t.”