Tight ends are some of the most unique players on a football field, and having top-tier talent at the position creates matchup nightmares for a defense. Super Bowl LVIII features two of the best tight ends in the NFL.
What makes these talented pass-catchers unique is that they value their team’s success far more than their own. Travis Kelce and George Kittle have 11 combined All-Pro team appearances, but both players will tell you that they would rather see their team win trophies instead of individual awards.
“I used to lose sleep over the lack of success I had early on,” said Kelce. “I used to have the desire to say I want to be the best; I want to be known as the one who had the most yards, the one that had the most catches, the most touchdowns, and the most Super Bowls.”
“I have rechanneled that to just being the best teammate I possibly can be day in and day out, and at the end of the year, let the chips fall where they may and see who is the best team out there. I enjoy having team success a lot more than I enjoy having my individual success week to week,” the tight end went on to say.
Kelce has put up numbers that have allowed him to be labeled one of the best, but sitting out the last game of the season for the betterment of the team and missing out on an eighth consecutive 1000-yard season by 16 yards shows his maturity as a player.
While Kittle does not get the same amount of attention from the media or fans as his counterpart in this game, he is equally as important to winning. Kittle is a ferocious blocker in the run game and is one of the toughest players in the league. Taking him down to the ground is no easy task.
“I think that what I am asked to do in my offense, I do at a very high level,” said Kittle. “All I really care about is that the eye in the sky doesn’t lie; that is the film. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about you; all that matters is that tape, your effort, your attitude, your play style, and the respect of your peers around the league.”
Kittle does a little bit of everything for his team on the field and is one of the most important leaders in the locker room. When the best players are also the best leaders, it allows the rest of the team to follow suit.
With both embracing their roles the way they do, it makes sense that the 49ers and Chiefs are in the Super Bowl. The position has become even more important with the passing game being what it is now, and these teams have two of the elite at the position.
“I think teams have seen that the last six or seven years if you have a really good tight end, you have a higher chance of being in the Super Bowl. If you look back at all of the Super Bowls, there are really talented tight ends playing in all of them. So, invest in a tight end, feed your tight end, and you have an opportunity to win games,” said Kittle.
Top Photo: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night Kickoff ceremony on Feb. 5, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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