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Super Bowl LIV features the two best tight ends in the game: Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and San Francisco’s George Kittle. Over the last six seasons, Kelce has averaged 1,078 receiving yards per season, and he’s posted four straight 1,000-yard years. But it was Kittle who was the top tight end this year according to the AP, and the top player overall according to Pro Football Focus.

Kittle is an excellent blocker and an outstanding receiver, but today, I want to focus on his receiving numbers. While Kittle put together a great season working with Jimmy Garoppolo, he ranked “only” 3rd in receiving yards among tight ends. That’s because the 49ers were one of the most run-heavy teams this year: Kelce’s Chiefs threw 97 more passes than the 49ers, while Oakland’s Darren Waller played on a team that threw 45 more passes than San Francisco.

In terms of pure receiving yards per team pass attempt, Kittle was best in the league.

RkTight EndTeamRec YdTeam Pass AttRec Yd/TPA
1George KittleSFO10534782.20
2Darren WallerOAK11465232.19
3Travis KelceKAN12295752.14
4Mark AndrewsBAL8524391.94
5Zach ErtzPHI9166121.50
6Jared CookNOR7055811.21
7Tyler HigbeeLAR7346291.17
8Austin HooperATL7876841.15
9Noah FantDEN5625041.12
10Hunter HenryLAC6525971.09
11Dallas GoedertPHI6076120.99
12Jonnu SmithTEN4394460.98
13Greg OlsenCAR5976320.94
14Mike GesickiMIA5706130.93
15Jason WittenDAL5295970.89
16Jack DoyleIND4485130.87
17Hayden HurstBAL3494390.79
18Kyle RudolphMIN3674660.79
19Jordan AkinsHOU4185340.78
20Jimmy GrahamGNB4475730.78
21Evan EngramNYG4676070.77
22Dawson KnoxBUF3885130.76
23Nick BoyleBAL3214390.73
24Eric EbronIND3755130.73
25O.J. HowardTAM4596300.73
26Tyler EifertCIN4366160.71
27Jacob HollisterSEA3495170.68
28Irv SmithMIN3114660.67
29Gerald EverettLAR4086290.65
30T.J. HockensonDET3675710.64
31Darren FellsHOU3415340.64
32Ryan GriffinNYJ3205210.61
33Blake JarwinDAL3655970.61
34Vance McDonaldPIT2735100.54
35Will DisslySEA2625170.51
36Jeremy SprinkleWAS2414790.50
37Cameron BrateTAM3116300.49
38Delanie WalkerTEN2154460.48
39Anthony FirkserTEN2044460.46
40Kaden SmithNYG2686070.44

But even that is misleading, as Kittle missed two games this year due to injury…. and those were the two most pass-happy games the 49ers had all season (probably not a coincidence). In the 14 games that Kittle played, San Francisco threw only 387 passes. This means Kittle’s 1,053 yards really came at a much more efficient rate: he averaged a whopping 2.72 receiving yards per team attempt in the games he was active. That is ridiculous!

How ridiculous? Well, since 1970, the single best mark in receiving yards per team pass attempt by a tight end was 2.59… set by Kittle last year, when he was mostly catching passes from Nick Mullens. The table below shows all tight end seasons since 1970 where a tight end averaged at least 2.00 receiving yards per team pass attempt.

RkTight EndTeamYearGRec YdTeam Pass AttRec Yd/TPA
1George KittleSFO20181613775322.59
2Todd ChristensenRAI19831612475042.47
3Rich CasterNYJ1972148333472.40
4Travis KelceKAN20181613365832.29
5Tony GonzalezKAN20041612585612.24
6Antonio GatesSDG20091611575192.23
7Bob TuckerNYG1972147643442.22
8Greg OlsenCAR20151611045012.20
9George KittleSFO20191410534782.20
10Darrin WallerOAK20191611465232.19
11Todd ChristensenRAI19861611535302.18
12Kellen WinslowSDG19801612905942.17
13Rob GronkowskiNWE20111613276122.17
14Shannon SharpeDEN19971611075132.16
15Jason WittenDAL20071611455312.16
16Antonio GatesSDG2004159644502.14
17Travis KelceKAN20191612295752.14
18Rich CasterNYJ1975148203842.14
19Kellen WinslowSDG198297213382.13
20Mark BavaroNYG19861610014722.12
21Riley OdomsDEN1978168293912.12
22Antonio GatesSDG20051511015262.09
23Antonio GatesSDG2007169844712.09
24Tony GonzalezKAN20071611725632.08
25Jim MitchellATL1971135932852.08
26Tony GonzalezKAN20001612035822.07
27Travis KelceKAN20161611255462.06
28Todd ChristensenRAI19841610074912.05
29Vernon DavisSFO2013158504172.04
30Kellen WinslowCLE20071611065452.03
31Ozzie NewsomeCLE19841610014952.02
32Rich CasterNYJ1974137453692.02
33Tony GonzalezKAN2006159004502.00
34Dave CasperHOU198295732872.00

Kittle just finished his third season, and he’s now arguably produced the two top receiving seasons since 1970 by a tight end in one of the key measures of receiving play.

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