In NFL history, only two tight ends have edged past 1,300 yards – Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. With three weeks left, it looks like two tight ends are going to blow by those guys.
Gronk and Graham put together their big seasons back in 2011, when Gronkowski finished with 1,327 yards and Graham went for 1,310. But with a few games left, it looks like both Travis Kelce and George Kittle will exceed those totals.
Kelce is on pace for 1,426 yards. It’s possible he’ll break the tight end record before Kansas City even takes the field for Week 17 (which could be a good thing, with the possibility the team might rest players that week).
Kittle also is on pace to bust the existing record. He’s been a steady performer but just put together the best game of his career, going for 210 yards in the first half against Denver on Sunday. The 49ers inexplicably didn’t get him another 5 yards in the second half which would have allowed him to set the single-game record for tight ends.
Do these tight end care about holding the single-season record for yards? Maybe. Probably. It could make for an interesting final week, when the record could be at stake. Kittle has a late kickoff, so he’ll enter his final game knowing exactly how many yards he needs to get past Kelce.
Three other tight ends are also having huge seasons. Eric Ebron (not listed below) is piling up touchdowns. Zach Ertz is on pace to break the single-season record for catches. And Jared Cook, if form holds, will also make it over 1,000 yards. Only once before have their been four 1,000-yard tight ends in the same season.
On the chart below, the stats for the 2018 players shows where they’re on pace to finish (if continuing to play at their current pace).
1,000-YARD TIGHT ENDS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Yards | Avg | TD |
2018 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 106 | 1,426 | 13.5 | 12 |
2018 | George Kittle, S.F. | 85 | 1,358 | 16.0 | 5 |
2011 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 90 | 1,327 | 14.7 | 18 |
2011 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 99 | 1,310 | 13.2 | 11 |
1980 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 89 | 1,290 | 14.5 | 9 |
2004 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 102 | 1,258 | 12.3 | 7 |
2018 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 121 | 1,250 | 10.4 | 7 |
1983 | Todd Christensen, Rai. | 92 | 1,247 | 13.6 | 12 |
2013 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 86 | 1,215 | 14.1 | 16 |
1967 | Jackie Smith, St.L. | 56 | 1,205 | 21.5 | 9 |
2000 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 93 | 1,203 | 12.9 | 9 |
2015 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 72 | 1,176 | 16.3 | 11 |
1994 | Ben Coates, N.E. | 96 | 1,174 | 12.2 | 7 |
2007 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 99 | 1,172 | 11.8 | 5 |
1983 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 88 | 1,172 | 13.3 | 8 |
2009 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 79 | 1,157 | 14.6 | 8 |
1986 | Todd Christensen, Rai. | 95 | 1,153 | 12.1 | 8 |
2007 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 96 | 1,145 | 11.9 | 7 |
2016 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 85 | 1,125 | 13.2 | 4 |
2014 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 82 | 1,124 | 13.7 | 12 |
1997 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 72 | 1,107 | 15.4 | 3 |
2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 100 | 1,106 | 11.1 | 10 |
2007 | Kellen Winslow, Clev. | 82 | 1,106 | 13.5 | 5 |
2015 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 77 | 1,104 | 14.3 | 7 |
2005 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 89 | 1,101 | 12.4 | 10 |
2015 | Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 94 | 1,088 | 11.6 | 6 |
2017 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 69 | 1,084 | 15.7 | 8 |
1961 | Mike Ditka, Chi. | 56 | 1,076 | 19.2 | 12 |
1981 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 88 | 1,075 | 12.2 | 10 |
2016 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 80 | 1,073 | 13.4 | 3 |
1996 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 80 | 1,062 | 13.3 | 10 |
2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 96 | 1,058 | 11.0 | 10 |
2015 | Gary Barnidge, Clev. | 79 | 1,043 | 13.2 | 9 |
2012 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 110 | 1,039 | 9.4 | 3 |
2017 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 83 | 1,038 | 12.5 | 8 |
2009 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 94 | 1,030 | 11.0 | 2 |
2018 | Jared Cook, Oak. | 75 | 1,015 | 13.5 | 7 |
1994 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 87 | 1,010 | 11.6 | 4 |
2014 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 84 | 1,008 | 12.0 | 6 |
1984 | Todd Christensen, Rai. | 80 | 1,007 | 12.6 | 7 |
1981 | Joe Senser, Minn. | 79 | 1,004 | 12.7 | 8 |
2010 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 94 | 1,002 | 10.7 | 9 |
1981 | Ozzie Newsome, Clev. | 69 | 1,002 | 14.5 | 6 |
1986 | Mark Bavaro, NYG | 66 | 1,001 | 15.2 | 4 |
1984 | Ozzie Newsome, Clev. | 89 | 1,001 | 11.2 | 5 |
—Ian Allan