On Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead, the 36-year-old tight end needed one play to pass Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. After Kristian Fulton intercepted Daniel Jones, Patrick Mahomes hit Kelce on a quick out. Kelce caught it, turned, and dove into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown — his first score of 2026 and the play that gave Kansas City a 10-7 lead.
That catch-and-run pushed Kelce past Faulk for the most career yards after the catch in NFL history. Larry Centers, Terrell Owens, and Steve Smith Sr. round out the top five.
Kelce entered the night already the all-time YAC leader among tight ends. After 443 yards after the catch in 2025, he sat at 6,158 career YAC and third overall regardless of position. One short throw and a determined finish later, the record belonged to him.
Faulk set a high bar. The former Colts and Rams star was one of the most complete backs the league has ever seen — 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards, and 136 total touchdowns. He remains the gold standard for receiving production from the running back position and a first-ballot Hall of Famer from the Greatest Show on Turf era. Passing him on a stat that rewards yards after the catch is no small thing. A tight end doing it at age 36, in Year 14, is rarer still.
Kelce has built his career on exactly this skill. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he has never been a pure burner, but he has always been a problem after the ball is in his hands. Route precision, body control, and the ability to turn a five-yard catch into a first down or more have defined him since he broke out in Kansas City. That 59-yard catch-and-run against Denver in Week 1 — 54 of those yards after the catch — was a reminder that the burst is still there when he needs it.
The rest of his résumé keeps growing. He now sits second all-time among tight ends in receiving yards (behind only Tony Gonzalez) after passing Jason Witten last week. He has 1,083 receptions, 13,073 receiving yards, and 83 career receiving touchdowns (plus 20 more in the playoffs). Three Super Bowl rings. Eleven Pro Bowls. The fastest tight end to every major receiving-yard milestone. And now the all-time YAC record.
