TAMPA, Fla. — Teammates and opponents are quick to note his swagger. A coach says, politely, energy is never an issue. His quarterback flatly calls him “the life of the party.”
The tight end with the outsized personality, reality show resume, celebrity girlfriend, millions in the bank and credentials as one of the best ever?
The Bucs’ Rob Gronkowski isn’t the only one in this Super Bowl who’s got game.
Kansas City’s Travis Kelce doesn’t have as much fame, glory and success as Gronkowski — not yet, anyway.
But Kelce’s different skill set — with the speed and athleticism to play more like a big wide receiver than a traditional tight end like Gronk — and stats pushing him up the record books are getting him there.
And Gronkowski has definitely noticed.
“He has helped transform the tight end position,” he said. “He has helped put the tight end position on the map.
“Ever since he’s been in the league, ever since he’s been on the Chiefs, he has progressed his game and gotten better every single year going into this year. That’s mad respect right there. Huge shout outs for doing that.”
There’s a bit of mutual admiration, as Kelce said he’s been a Gronkowski fan since he started playing tight end.
“He made his mark in the NFL as a young player, and his dominance fueled me to be able to have that much impact in a football game,” Kelce said. “I’ve taken a lot from Gronk.”
Kelce and Gronkowski are both 31. Though Gronkowski has more time in the league, playing 10 seasons (not counting 2019, when he was retired) to Kelce’s seven (he missed 2013 due to injury), Kelce is catching up in stats and running down records.
One of particular interest is postseason touchdowns. Gronkowski has a tight ends-most 12. Kelce has nine, after getting two as part of his 13-catch, 118-yard showing in the AFC Championship Game. His 110 straight games with a catch is also impressive.
What distinguishes Kelce is not just what he has done, but how he does it. While Gronkowski is more of a typical tight end who blocks and gets open for short passes, Kelce’s athleticism and speed can create mismatches against linebackers, while his size (a listed 6-feet-5, 260 pounds) allows him to run past defensive backs — which the Chiefs exploit by occasionally lining him up wide and sending him deep.
Kelce runs routes precisely and at different tempos, freelances when quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on the run and advances the ball after he gets it better than any tight end in the game.
“Kelce is a big-time concern,” Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone said. “You can put a defensive back on him, and he can still get away from him. … He’s a big-bodied person, but his ability to run routes is really impressive. He can run a deep ball and he can run a short route, he catches a contested (ball). and then he gets yards after the catch.
“There’s no doubt he’s the No. 1 tight end in the league.”
He is also a hit for his work in the locker room and the community. Mahomes says Kelce’s “natural gift to really embrace everybody and really show love for everybody” is something the ultra-popular quarterback aspires to.
“He’s just such a good-energy, good person to be around, always a shoulder to lean on,” defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon said. “It’s amazing to be a teammate of his.”
“Just a great leader,” added receiver Sammy Watkins.
Kelce appreciates the recognition for his efforts, which the Chiefs acknowledged in August with a four-year, $57 million extension on top of the two years he had remaining on a five-year, $46 million deal.
He also enjoys the celebrity that has come with it.
He had his own Bachelor-type TV show on the E! network called Catching Kelce in 2016, was in the Showtime comedy Moonbase 8 (among other appearances) and is a regular on the sports interview circuit. Videos of his dance moves are all over the internet. His on- and off-relationship with internet celebrity Kayla Nicole is a subject of TMZ and Page Six coverage.
“He’s certainly got a lot of energy; that’s never been an issue with him,” Chiefs tight end coach Tom Melvin said. “He’s very outgoing. You’re able to see quite a bit of what he’s got. He’s not shy. He certainly likes the performance aspect of this.”
Said Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, “He’s just a guy that has some great swagger and definitely backs it all up on the football field.”
