KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At some point late Sunday night, perhaps after he bearhugged kicker Harrison Butker, who made the game-winning field goal in the Kansas City Chiefs' overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts, star tight end Travis Kelce learned he earned yet another NFL record in his illustrious career.
In the second quarter, Kelce caught a short pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a reception he turned into an 11-yard gain. That moment was when Kelce broke the record for the most yards after the catch in NFL history, passing Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
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"I had no idea," Kelce said after the game of breaking the record. "It's pretty freaking cool, man, to be in talks with guys like Marshall Faulk, Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens. That's some pretty cool stuff, man. Those are the guys I grew up watching. Guys like that fueled my love for this game."
Not only has Kelce, 36, recorded 6,287 yards after the catch in his 14-year career, but he also leads the league in the statistic this season (128), which represents the most such yardage in his first two games of a season in his career, according to ESPN Research.
Such impressive production has helped the Chiefs start with a 2-0 record and provided evidence that Kelce's individual performance has been better than the past two seasons, when he showed dips in speed and athleticism.
"Travis worked his tail off," coach Andy Reid said Monday. "He likes his surrounding cast, too, which sure helps as just an extra challenge there to make sure that you're up there and competing and doing your part.
"I know everybody questioned the wedding and all that. Would he be out of shape and honeymooning the whole time? But he works his rear end off. [With] Taylor [Swift], you're putting on four-hour shows. You've got to work hard, too. I'm sure she kicks him in the butt a little bit there, too."
Swift and Kelce were married in July. But despite the doubters, Kelce has appeared to be in great shape this season. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel Kelce entered training camp in late July just three weeks after his wedding to Swift, the international pop star. His transition from wedding shape into football shape was smooth, too, since he didn't miss a single practice and was still one of the Chiefs' best pass catchers, especially in one-on-one drills against linebackers and safeties.