Why Chiefs TE Travis Kelce made the NFL Top 100 for 11th straight year

Voted upon by players, the honour carries more weight than media-driven rankings, and after making the list for the 11th straight year, Kelce's streak reveals just how much his peers respect his game.

Here's why the 36-year-old is still regarded as one of the best in the league and what his 2026 outlook holds.

What Kelce did to earn his spot

Only one tight end in the league saw more targets than Kelce's 103 last season, and his 577 routes run ranked sixth at the position.

While some of that volume was a consequence of the problems Kansas City had at wide receiver, Kelce's efficiency suggests he still has some juice left in the tank.

With 76 receptions for 851 yards, his 11.2-yard-per-catch average ranked 11th among all tight ends.

Kelce was also dangerous with the ball in his hands, racking up 5.7 yards after the catch, good enough for seventh among his peers.

His touchdown totals dipped to just five, a mark that he's bettered in eight of his 11 years, but that hasn't changed what other tight ends think about him.

In the official reveal video, the Colts' Mo Alie-Cox praised Kelce's "juice," while the Raiders' Brock Bowers raved about his "savvy feel for the game and feel for space."

Houston Texans' Dalton Schultz pointed to Kelce's undeniable chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, saying, "When those two are firing, they're really hard to stop."

Kelce's outlook in 2026

Last season, Kelce became just the third tight end in NFL history to top 13,000 career receiving yards.

When you combine that with three Super Bowls, 11 Pro Bowl nominations, and a spot in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, you might wonder whether there's anything left to achieve.

Hearing Kelce talk about why he came back for a 14th season, the answer becomes obvious.

"I still love going to work, putting on the pads," he told the Pat McAfee Show in March, just days after signing an extension to remain with the Chiefs through 2026.

"There's a lot of pieces in Kansas City that I just absolutely love," he added.

There's more competition for targets in 2026, with receiver Rashee Rice, despite his off-field issues, slated to be available after missing half of 2025.

Rice's wideout partner, Xavier Worthy, is motivated to push on in Year 3 and is expected to take on a heavier load.

But after the Chiefs brought back OC Eric Bieniemy and made no effort to find an heir to Kelce in free agency or the draft, the legendary tight end is set up to play a crucial role yet again.

And if Mahomes enjoys the comeback year we're predicting at DAZN, or better yet, achieves the dizzy heights predicted by one former QB, there's every chance Kelce could feast.

The full Top 100 list so far

• No. 100 - Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints
• No. 99 - Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
• No. 98 - Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
• No. 97 - Ernest Jones IV, LB, Seattle Seahawks
• No. 96 - Travis Etienne Jr., RB, New Orleans Saints
• No. 95 - Demario Davis, LB, New York Jets
• No. 94 - Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 93 - Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
• No. 92 - Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Houston Texans
• No. 91 - Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears
• No. 90 - Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers
• No. 89 - Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
• No. 88 - Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions
• No. 87 - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
• No. 86 - Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers
• No. 85 - Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
• No. 84 - Byron Young, EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
• No. 83 - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans
• No. 82 - Jalen Ramsey, DB, Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 81 - Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders
• No. 80 - A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots
• No. 79 - Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Game Pass subscribers can watch the reveals on NFL Network live on DAZN.