Travis Kelce is in his 14th season with the Kansas City Chiefs, having helped the franchise win three Super Bowls alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Given his championship resume and record-breaking production, Kelce is widely considered one of the best tight ends in Chiefs history.
But whether he is the greatest tight end in NFL history has been debated for years. Two-time Super Bowl champion Christian Fauria recently added fuel to the fire while sharing his all-time rankings.
Christian Fauria questions Travis Kelce’s blocking
Speaking on the NESN podcast, Fauria named the three greatest tight ends the NFL has ever produced. He placed Kelce behind both Rob Gronkowski and Tony Gonzalez. But he labeled Kelce soft regarding his willingness to block.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Oct 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks on during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
He said, “Now, Kelce gets a lot of flak because … he’s soft. He’s just, he’s soft, right? That’s no disrespect… Doesn’t mean he couldn’t beat you up in a fight, but when it comes to blocking, I just don’t think he has a willingness to do it. But I also don’t know if it matters as much.”
Placing Kelce behind Gonzalez can ignite a debate given their shared history with the Chiefs. Gonzalez starred in Kansas City from 1997 to 2008, finishing his Chiefs tenure with 916 catches, 10,940 receiving yards, and 76 touchdowns. Kelce has surpassed all of those franchise marks since 2013 with 1,109 receptions, 13,412 yards, 84 touchdowns and three Super Bowl rings.
Still, Fauria ranked Gonzalez higher because of what he did without the ball. He said, “Tony Gonzalez never gets enough credit for being a capable blocker. Now, he didn’t destroy people, but he was pretty damn good for a guy that caught as many passes as he did. So, I think Tony’s my number two.”
He picked Gronkowski as his No. 1 tight end of all time. He said the four-time Super Bowl champion could run every route as a receiver while also excelling as a blocker, backed by an 88.7 career run-blocking grade and 72.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
“I don’t know how you could say it’s anyone other than Gronk,” Fauria added.
Kelce continues to play mostly as a receiver in 2026. He has run routes on 203 of his 229 pass snaps this season, according to PFF. Through seven games at age 37, he has caught 29 passes for 410 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 14.1 yards per catch.
More NFL News