Travis Kelce returns after ankle injury on catch in 200th straight game

Travis Kelce caught a pass in his 200th consecutive game Sunday, joining three Hall of Famers before an ankle injury briefly sidelined him in Atlanta.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end reached the milestone on a 23-yard reception from Patrick Mahomes during the opening drive against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams brought Kelce down from behind, and Kelce reached for his left ankle. It was Kelce's only catch before he left the game.

The reception put Kelce in a group with three Pro Football Hall of Famers who caught passes in at least 200 straight NFL games. Jerry Rice leads the list with 274.

Larry Fitzgerald ranks second with 256, followed by former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez at 211.

Every player to have a reception streak reach 200+ consecutive games in NFL history:

HOF Jerry Rice (274)
HOF Larry Fitzgerald (256)
HOF Tony Gonzalez (211)
And Travis Kelce, who reached 200 today#ChiefsKingdom

— John Todd (@JohnToddNFL) November 15, 2026

Kelce, 37, is in his 14th NFL season and grew up watching Fitzgerald. "I don't mean to make Larry feel old, but he was my first college football game I ever saw," Kelce told The Kansas City Star in September. He spoke after breaking the NFL career record for yards after the catch against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 20.

Kelce reacted angrily to Hellams' tackle and almost tried to kick him off, USA Today wrote. The outlet said Hellams appeared to seize and twist Kelce's ankle during the tackle and seemed to target an ankle Kelce had been dealing with before the game.

Kelce got up slowly and limped to the sideline on his own. Trainers retaped his ankle before he went to the locker room for further evaluation. The Chiefs announced on X that his return was questionable.

Fox News reported that Kelce injured his left ankle, and a photo posted to X later showed him on the sideline wearing his helmet. He returned to the field with just over seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, though he was visibly limping.

Kelce had appeared on the Chiefs' Week 10 injury report with an ankle injury before Sunday, but he practiced fully and went into the game without an injury designation. The report did not identify the affected ankle.

Kansas City won 35-13, Just Jared reported.

Kelce ranks fifth on the NFL's career receptions list after reaching the position with his 1,103rd catch three weeks earlier. That reception put him ahead of Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter, though he remains behind Jason Witten, who finished with 1,228 catches.

Kelce, a four-time first-team All-Pro, has helped Mahomes and the Chiefs win three Super Bowls. He married Taylor Swift in July.

Chiefs tight end Jared Wiley also hurt his right ankle and was carted off, People reported. Wiley was initially questionable to return before being ruled out near the end of the first quarter.