Tony Gonzalez on Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: ‘The sky is the limit for him’

All season long the future Hall of Famer watched a young, talented tight end thrive at the same position he played in Kansas City for 12 years.

Oh yes, Tony Gonzalez has been watching Travis Kelce. And no one was more pleased to see the 26-year-old — who caught 72 passes for 875 yards and five touchdowns in 2015 — receive a five-year, $46 million extension last week.

“I couldn’t be happier, couldn’t be happier,” Gonzalez said this week at the Super Bowl. “Travis, I consider him a good friend of mine. I’ve watched him grow. Me and him talk a lot off the field about how his development is going.”

Gonzalez, a 14-time Pro Bowler who will host CBS’ Super Bowl pregame show Sunday, added that it is obviously going well, as Kelce made his first Pro Bowl this year, his first season as the full-time starter at tight end.

“The sky’s the limit for him,” Gonzalez said. “I think he’s going to get better, no doubt. You haven’t seen the best of Travis Kelce.”

Gonzalez was then asked to elaborate how Kelce, who is listed at 6 feet 5 and 260 pounds, could improve.

“There’s two parts to that position,” Gonzalez said. “Some people ignore the blocking part of it. And Travis — I know he’s trying, but I’d like to see him get a little bit better at the blocking, because it sets you up for the play-action pass.”

Gonzalez explained that that’s one of the reasons New England star Rob Gronkowski — who now earns less on an annual basis ($9 million) than Kelce does ($9.2 million) — is so difficult to guard. Gronkowski can be a ferocious blocker, which makes him a complete tight end.

“Even though you know what he can do from a receiving standpoint, he’s still a big part of that running game, too, for them,” Gonzalez said of Gronkowski. “And for Travis, I’d like to see him evolve and become ... not even a great blocker, become a good blocker.”

Gonzalez, who was criticized in his career for his blocking at times, said that in his experience blocking comes down to a simple formula — technique and want-to.

“A lot of these guys don’t want to because it hurts. It’s not fun,” Gonzalez said. “You’re going against guys that are bigger than you at the tight end position. The best defenders are usually the defensive ends and outside linebackers, so it’s tough from that standpoint. You’ve got to be kind of a dog to go out there and want to do that week in and week out.

“But it’s part of the position. Whether you like to do it or not, you better find a way to enjoy it. Because otherwise, it’s going to be tough.”

Kelce’s biggest strength, however, is his receiving ability. He combines excellent athleticism with solid ball skills, and his running ability after the catch has caught the eye of many, including inside linebacker Bart Scott, a 11-year veteran who is now retired.

“Most tight ends, when they catch the ball they run into the defender, jump in the air and fall on their face,” Scott said. “But he’s a guy that has more than just one move. He’s a guy that if you get the ball in his hands, he can run after the catch.

“And I think they did a smart job in really locking him down now, because when the salary cap goes up next year, that salary for the same type of player will be a lot more.”

Especially if Kelce continues to improve as an all-around tight end, like Gonzalez thinks he will. Kelce has spoken in the past about needing to do a better job grasping the playbook and recognizing defenses, and Gonzalez is confident that part will come, too.

“The more he plays, the more he’ll get comfortable reading defenses, running through man and sitting down vs. zone,” Gonzalez said. “All that stuff will come, and I still think he’s going to be a great player.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Tony Gonzalez on Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: ‘The sky is the limit for him’."