Travis Kelce goes into the 2026 NFL opener with 13,002 career receiving yards, 45 short of Jason Witten’s 13,046. On any normal Kelce night, that is a single scoring drive.

Kansas City hosts the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, with kickoff at 7:15pm local time on ABC and ESPN. If Kelce keeps to the pace he has held for more than a decade, the record will fall long before the fourth quarter.

ESPN’s Nate Taylor spelled out how close it is.

“With at least 45 receiving yards against Denver, #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce can surpass Jason Witten (13,046 receiving yards) for the 2nd most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (15,127),” Taylor wrote.

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Witten’s 13,046 yards, second only to Gonzalez

Jason Witten spent 15 of his 17 NFL seasons in Dallas after the Cowboys drafted him in the third round in 2003. He finished with 1,228 receptions, 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns across stints with the Cowboys and a final year in Las Vegas, and was named to 11 Pro Bowls, tied with Bob Lilly for the most in Cowboys history.

His 13,046 receiving yards have stood as the No. 2 mark for a tight end since he retired for good in 2020. Only Tony Gonzalez, with 15,127, has ever gained more at the position.

Kelce arrives at the record with 1,080 receptions, 82 touchdowns and 192 regular-season games on his ledger, according to Heavy’s rundown of the milestones within his reach this season. He is 36 and in his 14th NFL season.

A one-year deal, and Mahomes back at quarterback

The record chase is happening only because Kelce signed a one-year deal in March, structured with two additional cap years that would come into play if he retires after 2026. The Chiefs went 6-11 in 2025 and missed the playoffs after Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL against the Los Angeles Chargers on 14 December 2025.

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Mahomes has been cleared without limitations for the opener. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed the quarterback would start against Denver barring a setback, per Sports Illustrated, after Mahomes sat out the entire preseason for the first time in his career.

The Broncos come to Arrowhead as the reigning AFC West champions, having taken the division from Kansas City during Mahomes’ absence.

Forty-five yards is a quiet Kelce night

Kelce has faced Denver 22 times in the regular season and has rarely left without a stat line worth noting. Forty-five yards is what he averaged in his quieter 2025 games, when he still finished with 76 receptions for 851 yards.

Taylor’s projection for Monday night was blunt.

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“It’s possible Kelce passes Witten on a third down before the ‘Monday Night Football’ halftime show,” he wrote.

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