Travis Kelce reveals taking lessons from George Kittle's tight end playbook - "I finally figured it out"
Travis Kelce and George Kittle are currently two of the best tight ends in the National Football League.
Even though they are already at the top of their game, they are still finding ways to improve their craft. Kelce recently got some pointers on Kittle’s expertise in blocking out defensive opponents.
The four-time First Team All-Pro tight end said yes when his brother, Jason Kelce, asked if Kittle taught him to block.
After the Philadelphia Eagles center laughed, the younger Kelce added:
“I finally figured it out. I got my towel drill.”
While chuckling, the offensive lineman asked what’s a towel drill.
Travis Kelce responded with a straight face:
“It’s the Kittles, you know, the towel’s on the floor. It helps you with footwork and being able to set your angle on a certain defender, whether you’re running inside zone, outside zone.”
The older Kelce followed up:
“So, it’s a board drill but with a towel?”
His brother agreed, but Jason commented:
“Well, you don’t need a towel or a board.”
Travis added:
“Well, Jason, that’s why you are the f*ck*ng number one center in the National Football League ‘cause you don’t need that kind of stuff. A guy like me, I’m not in the Top 5 tight ends ‘cause I can’t f*ck*ng block.”
Travis Kelce might have learned the towel drill during this year’s Tight End University. Kittle, Greg Olsen, and himself started the camp in 2021 as an exchange of ideas among those who play the versatile position. The 2023 TEU happened last June 20 to 22 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Though Kittle is the benchmark for blocking tight ends in the league, no one comes close to Kelce regarding pass-catching.
The former University of Cincinnati standout holds the record for most seasons with 1,000 receiving yards by a tight end. His 1,416 yards in 2020 is the single-season record for tight ends. Meanwhile, his 1,338 receiving yards last season marks his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season, also an NFL all-time record.
Meanwhile, Kittle helped Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey thrive in the San Francisco 49ers offense. In 2021, Samuel had eight rushing touchdowns, the most by a wide receiver in a single season. Last year, McCaffrey had 1,210 all-purpose yards and ten touchdowns in 11 regular season games.
George Kittle is a three-time All-Pro with 765 receiving yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2022.
Travis Kelce and George Kittle are underpaid
Despite their incredible talent and versatility on the field, tight end salaries are nowhere near the top-paid players in positions with comparable roles.
Case in point, George Kittle will have an $11.6 million base salary and an $18 million cap hit this season. His teammate, left tackle Trent Williams, signed a six-year, $138 million deal in 2021. Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom agreed to a five-year, $102 million contract extension this offseason.
Meanwhile, Travis Kelce had more receiving yards than Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin last season. However, the tight end will receive a base salary of only $11.2 million in the upcoming season. Kelce’s cap hit is $14.8 million.
Conversely, McLaurin signed a three-year, $68.3 million contract extension during the 2022 offseason. He will receive a base salary of $15.1 million in 2024.
Davante Adams has the most expensive contract among wide receivers after agreeing to a five-year, $140 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders last year. However, he only had 178 more yards than Travis Kelce last season.