Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs began their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which runs through Thursday, in preparation for the 2026 NFL regular season. Kelce himself is preparing for his 14th season in the league, with only Denver Broncos' Marcedes Lewis being the only tight end having played more seasons (20) than him.
Longevity in and of itself is a rarity at the position, as no other active tight ends have more than a decade of service. With 13,002 career receiving yards, the seven-time All-Pro trails only former Chiefs great Tony Gonzalez (15,127) and former Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten (13,046) in the all-time positional rankings. No other active tight end has surpassed 10,000 receiving yards, with Kittle (8,008) still a long way behind Kelce.
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Kelce is past the days of his seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (an NFL record) but is still an elite tight end. The Cleveland Heights High School graduate finished fourth among tight ends in receiving yards (851) and sixth in receptions (76) last season. The three-time Super Bowl champion has gained publicity not only for his play but also for his podcast, "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce," and for his relationship with superstar singer Taylor Swift.
Despite his command of the spotlight, the 36-year-old received unfortunate news regarding his popularity. On Tuesday, the NFL released its annual NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List, and for the second straight season, Kelce did not make the top 25. Kelce finished No. 29 overall in the rankings, just ahead of Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and just behind Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
This is a drop-off for Kelce, who finished last year's list at No. 11 and the 2024 list at No. 4 overall. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen finished No. 1 on this year's list. The list is compiled from annual sales data from NFLPA licensees and captures purchases made from March 2025 through February 2026.
Kansas City will open the 2026 season at Arrowhead Stadium against the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" on Sept. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
