Tony Gonzalez became a superstar in the NFL while doing most of his damage for the Chiefs. The all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns by a tight end sees another potential luminary blooming in Kansas City.
"If he keeps his head on straight, he could go down as one of the best," Gonzalez said of tight end Travis Kelce. "He really can. I believe it."
Talking to the team's official website, Gonzalez pointed to the freaky mix of size, speed and power that earned Kelce the name of "Baby Gronk," a moniker not everyone agrees with. Gonzalez, though, sees promise.
"You look at his size at 6-feet-5, 260 pounds and (he) can run like the wind -- he's a mismatch nightmare, but I think what really stands out with him, and what I like the most about his game is his run after the catch. I think it's the best in the league."
Kelce's 772 yards after the grab over the past two seasons ranks above New England's Rob Gronkowski and all others at the position. His 489 receiving yards ranks Kelce behind just the Patriots star and Cleveland's upstart Gary Barnidge on the year.
What's more impressive is that Kelce has been asked to do it alone inside a stuck-in-the-mud Chiefs attack that has put up just four offensive touchdowns over their last 32 drives. With quarterback Alex Smith allergic to throwing the ball downfield, much of Kelce's real estate comes through his own ingenuity.
"He's one of those guys, and this is something I could never do, he'll catch the ball at five or six yards, then turn it up and go 25, 30 yards running through people or just making guys miss," Gonzalez said. "That's really what stands out to me."