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The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to Super Bowl 57 with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship, marking their third appearance in five seasons in the big game. While many assumed Kansas City would feel the repercussions of trading away Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs proved to be just fine with Travis Kelce stepping into the role as Patrick Mahomes' primary target.
Kelce finished the 2022 regular season with a career-high 110 receptions for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, which also proved to be a career-best.
Kelce etched his name into history books this postseason, snagging his 15th career playoff TD versus the Bengals, which is tied with Rob Gronkowski for second-most all-time. It’s an impressive feat that leaves him behind only Jerry Rice, who has 22 receiving touchdowns. But Kelce still has a chance to make history if he wins the Super Bowl MVP award.
Of the 56 MVP awards handed out to date, 46 have gone to an offensive skill position player, including 15 given to either a running back or wide receiver. But never in the history of the Super Bowl has a tight end received the award. Is Kelce set to end that streak in Super Bowl 57?
The Bengals’ Dan Ross is the lone tight end to post double-digit receptions and over 100 receiving yards when he achieved the feat in a 26-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. If Kelce can match the same statistical feat while adding in a touchdown or two, then he should make the case as a serious candidate to be named the game’s MVP. What could give him the edge over the likes of Mahomes would be setting a new record while he’s at it.
The current Super Bowl record for receptions in a game is 14, set by James White back in Super Bowl 51. In the divisional game versus the Jaguars, Kelce logged 14 receptions alone for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Helping lead Kansas City to a title with 15 or more receptions, while finding the endzone to go along with more than 100 yards receiving, might be the formula to earn the MVP hardware.
Travis Kelce has odds at +1000 on DraftKings Sportsbook,
This article can also be found in our Ultimate Guide to Super Bowl 57, presented by Frank’s Red Hot.