Patrick Mahomes Hails Travis Kelce As 'True Chiefs' Chief' After Tying Team TD Record

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes heaped praise on tight end Travis Kelce after the future Hall of Famer tied the all-time franchise record for career touchdowns during KC's 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday night.

With a 10-yard touchdown grab on a pass from Mahomes in the third quarter, Kelce tied running back Priest Holmes for the Chiefs' career touchdown record with 83.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Mahomes discussed Kelce's importance to the Chiefs' success over the past several years and noted that he made sure Kelce was in possession of the ball he caught to tie the franchise mark:

"He's just the true Chiefs' Chief. He's the guy that's been here through the whole thing, being here with Coach [Andy] Reid the entire time. He helped set the culture of what it means to play for Coach Reid and for Kansas City. I was able to come in and have that guy to rely on.

"He's breaking all the records now. He's all about the team, so I wanted to make sure he gets that [ball], and hopefully we can get another ball for him later in the season when he breaks the record."

Holmes only played six seasons with the Chiefs, but he was a touchdown machine, racking up 76 rushing scores and seven receiving scores for a grand total of 83.

A three-time Pro Bowler and the 2002 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, eclipsed the 20-touchdown mark in a Chiefs uniform on two separate occasions.

Kelce has never had more than 12 total regular-season touchdowns during a single campaign, but he has been a model of consistency over his 13 seasons, all of which have been spent in Kansas City.

A 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time First Team All-Pro, Kelce has registered 1,041 receptions for 12,625 yards and 80 receiving touchdowns in 183 regular-season games, along with two rushing touchdowns and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

On top of that, Kelce is the NFL's all-time leader in playoff receptions with 178, plus he has accrued 2,078 yards and 20 touchdowns in 25 playoff games.

A three-time Super Bowl champion to boot, Kelce is in the conversation as the greatest tight end in NFL history, and he has the makings of a surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer.

After registering seven straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Kelce's production has dipped over the past few years.

Last season, his 823 yards and three touchdowns were his fewest in a season since his rookie year when he appeared in only one game.

Kelce turned in a vintage performance on Monday, though, with six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. He now has 37 grabs for 474 yards and three touchdowns overall this season, putting him on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark over a 17-game season.

Monday's showing came at a perfect time for Kelce and the Chiefs since the win moved them to 5-3 and gave them a ton of momentum entering their marquee road matchup with the Buffalo Bills next weekend.