The Kansas City tight end scored his first touchdown of the season during the Chiefs’ divisional showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Returning to the site of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, Allegiant Stadium, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with Kelce on third-and-goal in the second quarter to restore the visitors’ lead.
It marked the 35-year-old’s first regular season reception touchdown in 13 games – ironically on ‘National Tight Ends’ Day.’
Kelce hauled in the five-yard touchdown for the 75th of his decorated NFL career, making him just the fifth tight end to hit the milestone.
With the score, Kelce also moved solely into fifth place for career touchdowns by a tight end, breaking a tie with Jason Witten.
Kelce still has a way to go to climb the ladder, however, as he trails fourth-place Jimmy Graham by 14. Meanwhile, Antonio Gates is the all-time tight end touchdown leader with 116.
Including postseason play, Kelce now has 94 touchdown catches, which is tied with Graham for fourth all-time.
However, his girlfriend, and one of his biggest fans, Taylor Swift was unable to celebrate the feat from her luxury box as she continued to perform her Eras Tour in New Orleans this weekend.
Sunday’s divisional matchup marked the second consecutive week that Kelce suited up with out the pop megastar in the stands as she prepare to entertain the masses on Night 3 of her Eras Tour stint in the Big Easy.
Last week, Kelce had a game to forget against the San Francisco 49ers after Swift hit the road for the final leg of her sold-out Eras Tour in Miami.
Kelce was largely absent once again in the Chiefs offense after the tight end suffered a slow start to the season.
The three-time Super Bowl winner endured criticism through the opening games of the season.
He made just eight catches through the first three matchups as the Chiefs chase a historic Super Bowl three-peat.
The slump sparked criticism from analysts and fans alike, with many pointing to his hectic offseason and high-profile personal life with the songstress as a potential reason for his on-field decline.
However, the nine-time Pro Bowler has bounced back in style, finding the end zone against the Raiders and making six receptions for 56 yards.
In addition to their action-packed summer, Kelce and Swift have enjoyed a busy personal life, regularly hitting the town for romantic nights out in New York City – including a double date with the singer’s BFF Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds last week.
They have also swapped the football field for other sporting venues, catching the New York Yankees in playoff action this week as well as putting on a PDA-packed display at the US Open men’s final last month.
The criticism reportedly led to Swift opting to skip the Chiefs’ game against the Chargers in Los Angeles last month, in an attempt to take the heat and the headlines off her NFL beau.
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