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Greg Olsen says Travis Kelce can be the best tight end of all time

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•06/07/23•

suzhalliburton

greg olsen travis kelce
David Eulitt/Getty Images

Greg Olsen, a former tight end, enjoyed an NFL-record-defining career. But the Fox analyst thinks Travis Kelce could be the best at the position, ever. That’s if he can pass another Chief.

Olsen gave Kelce his props on Wednesday during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” He talked about Travis Kelce from the angle of someone who played the position at the highest levels. And now that Olsen is a member of the top NFL team on Fox, he also gets to see everyone else play as well.

“For Travis to have seven years in a row of over 1,000 yards,” Olsen said. “Where prior, humble brag, it was three, it was me, humble brag, I know how hard it is to put up (the numbers).”

And there’s more. Olsen said, as he added more details: “For him to have seven straight seasons with over 1,000 yards, all the post-season records he’s putting on display as far as touchdowns, as 100-yard games, dominating performances, winning the Super Bowl this year. When you stack up it all up, I never thought in a million years anybody would ever reach the level of Tony Gonzalez.

Gonzalez’s “numbers, his production, his longevity was just so in out of space compared to everyone else,” Olsen said. “No one even really considered it. Everyone always said there’s Tony, then I’m going to fight to be in that next group. Travis is probably the first guy who has come along that’s shown, knock wood, he has the longevity, he has the consistent production. I think he has the chance to be the best guy of all time.

“I don’t say that lightly, I wouldn’t have said it three years ago,” Olsen said. “His streak in the last seven or eight years is historically special.”

Travis Kelce isn’t the best all-time tight end for the Chiefs. Yet

So let’s compare Tony Gonzalez to Travis Kelce. The Chiefs selected Gonzalez in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft. In his 17-year career, he earned spots in 14 Pro Bowls. He caught 1,325 passes, an NFL record. And his reception yardage (15,127) also is the best ever for a tight end.

He played his first 12 years with the Chiefs, then moved to the Falcons. In year 17, Gonzalez still was so amazing that he caught 83 balls for 859 yards and eight touchdowns. His slam dunk selection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame came in 2019.

Chiefs fanns probably are torn on who is the best tight end in team history. Tony Gonzalez played for KC for 12 years. Travis Kelce is headed into year 10 with the Chiefs. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Travis Kelce is headed in the right direction for career yardage, so long as he keeps that 1,000-yard streak alive. He’s 4,774 yards away. He also still needs several more significant years to catch Gonzalez’s standard for career catches. He needs 512 more. But hey, everybody needs a goal, even those vying to become the best ever. As Greg Olsen said, Travis Kelce has entered the conversation.