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The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in Super Bowl LVIII on February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the 49ers' second Super Bowl appearance since 2020, while the Chiefs have made it four of the past five seasons.
The Chiefs' recent Super Bowl runs have seen plenty of Travis Kelce catches on the big stage. This will be Kelce's fourth Super Bowl appearance, and he continues to creep up the Super Bowl receptions leader list.
So, who has the most career receptions in the Super Bowl? Where does Kelce rank? Let's dive in and list the top seven Super Bowl reception leaders in NFL history.
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Kelce checks in at seven on this list with 22 catches in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs tight end has been a reliable weapon for quarterback Patrick Mahomes throughout his career, especially in the Super Bowl. He is averaging 7.33 catches in his three Super Bowl appearances and will likely jump up this list after playing in his fourth this year.
Last year, Kelce caught six passes for 81 yards and one touchdown to help Kansas City beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. At 34 years old, this could be his last Super Bowl appearance -- as rumors of a possible retirement are swirling. Either way, though, there's a good chance he will move up after this year's Super Bowl. He'll need at least three catches to move into the top five and just eight receptions to be second.
T6. Deion Branch & Julian Edelman (24 receptions)
A pair of wide receivers that played with quarterback Tom Brady make this list. Deion Branch played in three Super Bowls with Brady in 2004, 2005, and 2012. In those games, Branch had 24 catches for 321 yards and one touchdown. The two-time Super Bowl champ dominated in his first two appearances. He caught 10 passes in 2004 and then 11 more in 2005 -- where he won Super Bowl MVP.
As for Edelman, he played in four Super Bowls with Brady but logged zero counting stats in his first Super Bowl in 2012. In the other three Super Bowls (2015, 2017, 2019), though, he totaled nine catches in Super Bowl 49, then five in Super Bowl 51, and another 10 receptions in Super Bowl 53. In total, the slot wideout had 24 catches for 337 yards and one touchdown across those appearances.
4. Wes Welker (26 receptions)
Another Brady wideout makes this list, as Wes Welker checks in at fourth on the all-time Super Bowl receptions list. Welker made three Super Bowl appearances in 2008, 2012, and 2014. In each of those games, the 5-foot-9 wideout was a key part of the offense.
He logged 11 catches when the Patriots were upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl 42 in 2008 and then reeled in another eight passes for 60 yards in a loss to the Giants again in Super Bowl 46. Welker was actually the leading wide receiver for New England in that 2012 Super Bowl -- with more catches than both Branch and Edelman in the contest.
His final Super Bowl was in 2014 with the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning was his quarterback, and Welker caught eight passes for 84 yards. But that was the year when Denver lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 48. He caught 26 passes for 247 yards across those three games.
3. Andre Reed (27 receptions)
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Reed checks in with the third-most receptions in Super Bowl history at 27. Reed played in four Super Bowls from 1991-1994 but couldn't help carry his team to a win in those contests.
Reed had the same quarterback in all four Super Bowls in Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, which helped him reel in those 27 catches. He caught eight passes in 1991, five in 1992, eight again in 1993 to go with 152 yards, and another six in 1994. His consistency in those games is a big reason why he's third all-time on this receptions list.
However, Kelce needs just six catches in Super Bowl 58 to pass him for third. The Chiefs tight end has caught at least six passes in all three of his Super Bowl appearances so far.
2. Rob Gronkowski (29 receptions)
If Kelce wants to put up the greatest numbers by a tight end in Super Bowl history, he'll need to pass former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski played in five Super Bowls over his career (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021), all with Brady as his quarterback.
In his first appearance in Super Bowl 46, the Patriots tight end didn't do much, catching just two passes for 26 yards. But he showed up in the other four contests, logging six catches each in Super Bowl 49, Super Bowl 53, and Super Bowl 55 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl 52 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gronkowski currently holds the record for the most catches (29), receiving yards (364), and touchdowns (five) in Super Bowl history among all tight ends. Kelce will need at least nine catches and/or 107 receiving yards to pass the Patriots legend in those categories.
1. Jerry Rice (33 receptions)
This should be no surprise to anyone, but wide receiver Jerry Rice holds the current record for most receptions by a player in Super Bowl history. Rice played in four Super Bowls over his career in 1989, 1990, 1995, and 2003 -- the first three coming with the 49ers and the other with the Raiders.
Rice was almost unstoppable on the biggest stage. He had 11 catches for 215 yards and one touchdown in Super Bowl 23 while also winning Super Bowl MVP. Then, in Super Bowl 24, the Hall of Famer reeled in seven passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns. In Super Bowl 29, it was more impressive stuff from him, as he caught 10 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers won all three contests. In Super Bowl 37, he also totaled five catches for 77 yards and one touchdown with the Raiders.
Rice leads in several Super Bowl categories, including catches (33), receiving yards (589), and touchdowns (eight). It will surely be hard to pass him in all three. But if Kelce can play in one more Super Bowl after Super Bowl 58, he has a good chance to pass Rice on the all-time receptions list-- only trailing him by 11.
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