NFL Player Ranks 49ers' George Kittle as Best TE over Chiefs' Travis Kelce in Poll

Thearon W. Henderson/

As Travis Kelce's production has dipped this season, the battle for the NFL's best tight end is as wide open as it's been in years.

In a player survey conducted by The Athletic , one player called San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle "the best tight end in the league" in a vote about who is the NFL's most underrated player.

While it's hard to say a two-time All-Pro like Kittle is underrated, there's definitely a valid argument for him as the NFL's top tight end right now. He ranks second among all players at the position in receiving yards (648) and is averaging more yards per reception (15.1) than A.J. Brown (14.9).

Kittle is also essential as a blocker for San Francisco's run game, which can sometimes depress his stat line. He's had two games this season with just one reception, yet is still on pace to have one of his best years as a receiver.

Kelce hasn't been the dominant force he usually is for the Kansas City Chiefs. The eight-time Pro Bowler had 21 receptions for 303 yards in back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.

Outside of those two performances, Kelce hasn't had more than 69 yards in a game. He's averaged fewer than 10 yards per reception in six of his nine games.

At 34 years old, Kelce might have hit an age where his skill set is starting to diminish. It's certainly not a coincidence that the Chiefs have gone from averaging an NFL-high 29.2 points per game last season to 22.5 points per game this season as his performance his dipped.