Travis Kelce nears NFL top five on all-time receptions list

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is on the verge of another historic milestone in a career already packed with accolades. He enters this week with 1,094 career receptions, which ties him with former wide receiver Tim Brown for seventh place on the NFL’s all-time list. One more completed pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes would give Kelce sole possession of that spot.

The Chiefs’ next opportunity comes against the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders, whose pass defense has allowed among the fewest completions in the league so far. Even with that challenge, the matchup gives Kelce a chance to keep climbing toward the top of the career receptions leaderboard.

Within reach of Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison

Kelce is closing fast on the names directly ahead of him. Cris Carter sits sixth all-time with 1,101 receptions, only seven more than Kelce. Marvin Harrison holds fifth place at 1,102, eight ahead of the Chiefs’ tight end. With nine additional catches, Kelce would leapfrog both Hall of Famers and stand alone in fifth place in league history.

That jump could happen as soon as this week if Kelce has a high-volume outing, but the numbers suggest he is likely to get there within the coming weeks regardless. Through three games, he has two receptions against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, nine versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 and three more against the Denver Broncos in Week 3, for 14 total catches. That production works out to an average of 4.6 receptions per game.

Using that pace as a guide, projections indicate Kelce would move past Carter in Week 5 and overtake Harrison in Week 6. However, his track record of occasional explosive performances always leaves room for him to accelerate that timeline.

Fifth this year, a push for fourth on the horizon

If Kelce maintains his current average of 4.6 catches per game over a full 17-game schedule, he would add 78 receptions to his total this season. That would leave him at 1,172 career catches, cementing him in fifth place at year’s end. To climb higher in 2026, he would still have to chase Jason Witten, who ranks fourth with 1,228 receptions.

Reaching Witten this season would require 134 catches, a bar above Kelce’s single-season career high of 110 and beyond his typical 17-game average of 95. At that rate, moving into fourth place appears more likely in a future season, assuming he continues playing at a similar level.

Now 36 years old and in his 14th NFL season, Kelce is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, though he has not announced any retirement plans. As he continues to stack receptions and rise up the all-time list, his standing among the game’s greatest pass catchers becomes even more secure.