Travis Kelce has now finished his 13th NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but 2025 did not go as planned. Coming off a Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last year, the Chiefs finished 2025 with a 6-11 record, missing out on the postseason for just the second time since Kelce joined the team in 2013.
Kelce still had a strong season at age 36. The former Cincinnati Bearcats tight end played in all 17 games in 2025, finishing with 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns. He was also named to his 11th consecutive Pro Bowl. However, one play in particular from Kelce’s 2025 season caught the NFL’s attention.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Early in the third quarter of Kansas City’s 22-9 Week 3 win over the New York Giants, quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit Kelce for a 13-yard gain, picking up a first down. But to get open, Kelce ran a sharp route that allowed him to juke Giants safety Dane Belton, securing the catch and picking up a few extra yards with his feet.
And on Wednesday, the NFL revealed its top ten routes of the 2025 season, listing Kelce's 13-yard catch against New York at No. 5. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are as follows:
- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III
- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua
- Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore
- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell
- Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (again)
- New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs
- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey
- Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston
"The top 10 routes of the 2025 season 🔥," the NFL wrote on X.
As the Chiefs await Kelce’s decision on whether to hang up his cleats or return for a 14th season, they will begin reshaping their roster for the 2026 NFL season, starting with free agency on March 11.