Travis Kelce shares classy message for Tony Gonzalez after breaking his record

Early in the second quarter of the Chiefs’ 17-10 win Sunday over the Chargers, Travis Kelce caught a 5-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and made history.

Kelce surpassed legendary Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez (916) for most receptions in team history. Kelce now has 922 career receptions , which is the most for any pass catcher in franchise history. He also has a Chiefs record 11,486 receiving yards.

On the latest episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce talked about supplanting Gonzalez on the Chiefs’ career list.

“It’s crazy how it all comes full circle, man,” Kelce said. “Not only being in conversations with Tony, but being at the top of the leaderboard with the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been around since the 60s, have been such an unbelievable organization in the National Football League, one of the beginning organizations (in the AFL) that made it all the way through that are still at their peak. And I just love Kansas City and the Chiefs and the opportunity that I’ve had here in KC. And a lot of that is due to the rich history that they have.

“And a guy like Tony Gonzalez, who has been a mentor to me, he’s been right there, a lifeline if I ever needed it. I love the guy. He’s motivated me in ways that he doesn’t even know. And I’ve tried my entire career to match what he was to this organization, what he was to this game of football. And to be in conversations, not to say that I am as good as Tony, not to say that I’ve surpassed Tony, to be in a conversation as cool as this, having as many receptions in the organization that he spent the majority of his career, it’s just an honor, man.”

Gonzalez played for the Chiefs from 1997-2008 and was a five-time All-Pro before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons.

Since joining the Chiefs in 2013, Kelce has had multiple discussions with Gonzalez. And that’s why Kelce addressed Gonzalez directly on the podcast and shared a classy message.

“Tony, I love you brother, and I can’t thank you enough for who you are as a person and who you’ve been in my career,” Kelce said. “And I’ve taken everything you’ve taught me and I’ve ran with it, man. And I’ve tried to become better because of it. And, yeah, just love that guy, man. It’s an honor.”