Chiefs’ Travis Kelce moved up on two elite NFL all-time lists with one catch
Chiefs star Travis Kelce long ago established himself as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. But he’s also one of the best overall pass catchers the league has ever seen.
We got more proof of that Sunday during the Chiefs’ game against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
With a 5-yard reception in the third quarter, Kelce reached exactly 13,000 receiving yards in his 13-season career. He is just the 23rd player in league history to reach that milestone. Kelce is only the third tight end ever to do it, joining former Cowboys star Jason Witten (13,046 yards) and Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez (15,127).
Kelce’s first catch of the day was a 5-yard grab late in the first quarter on a pass from Chris Oladukon. That was the 191st straight game in which Kelce has had a reception.
His second reception was that 5-yarder after halftime, and it came on a pass from Shane Buechele.
That moved Kelce past a Hall of Famer on the list of the NFL’s top 10 of career receptions. Entering Sunday, Kelce had 1,077 catches, the ninth most in league history. Terrell Owens, who played for five teams included the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles, had 1,078 in his 15-year career.
NFL’s top reception leaders
Here are the top eight on the NFL’s all-time receptions list:
Jerry Rice: 1,549
Larry Fitzgerald: 1,432
Tony Gonzalez: 1,325
Jason Witten: 1,228
Marvin Harrison: 1,102
Cris Carter: 1,101
Tim Brown: 1,094
Travis Kelce, 1,079*
Terrell Owens: 1,078
*After his second reception Sunday
CBS Sports also noted that Kelce reached 75 receptions for the 10th straight season. That tied Tim Brown for the most in NFL history.
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 5:21 PM.
