‘Until the Wheels Fall Off’: Travis Kelce Remains in NFL Players’ Top-10 and Madden 99 Club

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has made it into the top 10 of the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for the third consecutive year.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has had one of the most high-profile years in all of football, sports, and entertainment. From off-the-field festivities ranging from a new acting role to an on-stage cameo with Taylor Swift, to the on-field accomplishments culminating in the Chiefs second-consecutive Super Bowl, Kelce has earned plenty of accolades over the last 12 months. Now, entering the 2024 season, his NFL peers have confirmed his status among the league’s elite.

Kelce lands at No. 9 in the 2024 NFL Top 100 after appearing at No. 5 in 2023. The list, voted on by NFL players, will include defensive tackle Chris Jones and quarterback Patrick Mahomes set to appear in the top-8.

After seven consecutive years with more than 1,000 yards receiving, Kelce fell just short of the grand mark in 2023 while missing the first game of the season due to injury and sitting out the final game of the year while the Chiefs rested their starters ahead of the playoffs. Kelce went on to produce a string of rejuvenated performances in the postseason, adding another 32 catches, 355 yards and three touchdowns en route to the Chiefs’ second-consecutive Super Bowl championship.

Kelce remains in Madden 99 club

In addition to the accolades from his peers, Kelce remains in Madden’s 99 club, retaining the highest-possible rating in Madden 25. Kelce has been in the mid-to-high 90s since Madden 18, but this year brings his third trip to the 99 club in the last four years. EA Sports gifted Kelce a golden microphone to celebrate the honor.

Kelce, who turns 35 in October, retains perhaps-unprecedented recognition as a dominant player halfway through his 30s. Still, Kelce isn’t talking about retirement.

“I really can’t put a timeframe on it,” Kelce said in June. “I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there’s opportunities outside of football for me, and I think you’ve gotta keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building, man. I know I’m 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat in June. I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I’m gonna do it until the wheels fall off, and hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon, but I can definitely understand that it’s [closer] towards the end of the road than it is the beginning of it, and I just gotta make sure I’m set up for after football as well.”