MIAMI — The time is now for the tight end.
Seven wide receivers, seven running backs, four linebackers, three defensive linemen, two safeties, a cornerback and a return specialist account for all the non-quarterback Super Bowl MVPs. Zero tight ends in 53 games.
But Super Bowl 2020 is different because both the Chiefs (Travis Kelce) and 49ers (George Kittle) were led in receptions and yards during the regular season by a tight end. Kittle was voted 2019 First-Team All-Pro, Kelce was Second-Team All-Pro and they would have started on opposite sides of the Pro Bowl if not for the Super Bowl.
The MVP betting favorites still are quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo — as almost always will be the case — but both tight ends are listed everywhere among the top handful of options. Opposing defenses beware.
“They like to put him [Kelce] in a lot of different positions to get him to catch the ball, and he knows what to do with it after he catches it,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “He’s a mismatch, for sure. You don’t really know who to put on him. You put a safety on him, he’s a bigger body. You put a linebacker on him, he’s shifty. He’s fast.”
Respect goes both ways.
“My favorite tight end in the league is Travis Kelce and I feel like he is the best,” Chiefs defensive lineman Frank Clark said, “but right behind him is George Kittle, I feel. When you have a tight end as good as he is and as fast as he is — another guy that’s good at picking up yards after contact and extending drives — we know this is Jimmy’s go-to guy when he wants to win games. We know what we have to do to stop him.”
Zach Ertz’s Super Bowl-winning touchdown for the Eagles over the Rob Gronkowski-powered Patriots two years ago might be fresh in the mind, but the truth is the big game isn’t kind to tight ends. Gronkowski, Vernon Davis and Dan Ross are the only tight ends with 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl — and all three lost the game.
Kittle and Kelce exchanged jerseys after their teams squared off last regular season and met up again at the Super Bowl in Atlanta. This year, it’s a business trip.
“Definitely mutual fan society,” Kittle said. “Watched [Kelce’s] tape when I was in college. Watch his tape now. I get his games every single week so I can watch what he does. He’s definitely one of the best in the game at just finding open spots.”
Kittle leads all tight ends with 45 broken tackles and 1,748 yards after the catch over the last three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. Kelce leads the way with 100 plays of 15 yards or more in that same span, per the analytics website.
It might be slight advantage Kittle, if only because the Chiefs defense has had greater difficulty covering tight ends. He also is regarded as the better blocker of the two — and the 49ers are looking to run.
“Just about everybody in the world thinks the world of George Kittle,” Kelce said. “He’s an unbelievable person with an unbelievable amount of energy. How he plays the game with the tenacity is one of a kind.
“We both love to play the game and at the same time we both love life. With that comes a lot of responsibility in the tight end room, to not just be a one-dimensional player but be a utility guy in the locker room or do whatever the team needs.”
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