Jason Kelce is sharing his game plan for Travis Kelce‘s next career move.
Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14th, which eliminated them from playoff contention after three years as AFC champions, Jason discussed the possibility of his younger brother retiring.
I’m also wondering about that,” said Jason Kelce, former center for the Philadelphia Eagles, during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast on December 15th. “I think you really need some time away from football to make the right choice.”
Despite not making it to the Super Bowl for the fourth year in a row, Travis Kelce, who has played tight end for the Chiefs for 13 seasons, and his team will finish out their regular season games.
Jason urged the team to savor their final three games, both with each other and with the coaches. He pointed out that the team will inevitably change next year, regardless of who returns, so he encouraged them to fully appreciate these last moments and take time to reflect afterward. He believes the significance of this period will become clearer with time.
He explained that there’s a lot of emotion after the season ends, especially given how challenging this one was. It’s been a rollercoaster, with moments of being so close to success, but it’s still too soon to fully process everything. He emphasized the need to take some time away to reflect before gaining perspective.
The Chiefs suffered a tough loss when quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL during the game after being tackled by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. The team later confirmed Mahomes had surgery the next day.
Jason Kelce, a 38-year-old former NFL player who retired from the Eagles in March 2024 after 13 seasons, understands what it’s like to make a big career shift. He and his wife, Kylie Kelce, are parents to four young daughters: Wyatt, 6; Elliotte, 4; Bennett, 2; and Finnley, 8 months.
The whole Kelce family was deeply moved, and Travis—fresh off his engagement to Taylor Swift—even cried while Jason spoke about their close relationship.
At the press conference, Jason explained that his family was quite small. He only had one aunt and one uncle, and no cousins. He emphasized that it was mostly just him and his brother growing up, and they shared everything together – they competed, argued, had fun, supported each other through tough times, and learned from each other along the way.
Jason, after sharing a warm hug with Travis, explained how much their relationship meant to him. He said it helped him grow as a person, making him stronger, more resilient, and more insightful, while also teaching him the importance of teamwork, faithfulness, and empathy. He also noted it felt fitting to find career success in Philadelphia, a city known for its spirit of community, because of the strong foundation their relationship provided.
It’s still uncertain what will happen with Travis during the game, but keep reading to learn more about the player who ultimately won it.
Okay, so everyone thinks of Travis as Kansas City now, right? Like, he is Kansas City! But seriously, it totally blows my mind that he’s actually from Cleveland Heights, Ohio! I mean, I know he’s a Chief through and through now, but it’s so cool to remember he didn’t start out there. It just makes me love him even more, knowing his story!
During game broadcasts, when players are introduced, this man proudly announces his hometown rather than his college, the University of Cincinnati.
Which, as you might guess, has irked some fellow alums.
Travis Kelce explained that while he deeply values his time at the University of Cincinnati, it wasn’t always easy. Speaking at his 2019 Hall of Fame induction at Cleveland Heights High School, alongside his brother Jason Kelce, he admitted he faced challenges, including losing his scholarship due to some poor decisions. He jokingly acknowledged that he was likely the ‘Heights kid’ everyone knew who made mistakes.
He explained that Cleveland Heights wasn’t just meaningful to him personally, but to everyone in the community. He emphasized the city’s diversity and how it inspires him. He stated that everything he does, both on and off the field, is dedicated to Cleveland Heights, and that even his celebratory moments are a tribute to the city and its people.
2. About that revoked scholarship…
Following Cincinnati’s perfect 2009 season and Big East championship, Travis tested positive for marijuana before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. This happened after he partied excessively on New Year’s Eve while in New Orleans.
He didn’t just miss the bowl game; the NCAA also suspended him for the entire 2010 season and took away his scholarship. This left him without housing or meals, so he moved in with his brother Jason—sharing Jason’s room with his teammates—and got a job as a telemarketer. His job involved calling people and asking for their opinions on the Affordable Care Act.
They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.
Before focusing on football, Travis played hockey, baseball, and basketball. He originally joined the University of Cincinnati as a quarterback, but after a suspension, he was allowed back on the team only if he switched positions to tight end.
When I was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, we already had a great quarterback in Zach Collaros, but we needed more support for both running and passing plays,” Travis explained to Arrowhead Pride. “I spoke with my coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end was what we needed. Luckily, my abilities and athleticism fit that role perfectly, and it turned out to be a great fit for me.
Honestly, it kills me how casually he talks about it, even now! He told GQ back in 2017, when he was revisiting that whole, you know, situation, that people had been telling him his whole life he was built to be a tight end anyway. It’s like, yeah, we knew, but hearing him say it… it just proves everything I’ve always believed! It’s perfect.
Travis often hung out at the house on 127 W. Nixon Street, where he lived with Jason and other members of the Bearcats team, and they frequently had lively, beer-fueled fun.
According to college friend and teammate Tom DeTemple, the brothers would spend hours playing Nintendo 64, often combining it with drinking games. He told the New York Times before the 2024 Super Bowl that they were very skilled at creating these spontaneous games while intensely playing, even “smashing the controls” and drinking beer simultaneously.
5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.
Look, Cincinnati will always have a huge place in my heart. Before the Super Bowl, I was telling reporters how proud I am to be a Bearcat – I even finally finished my degree there! I really try to give back to the university whenever I can, and I love going back to campus. More than anything, I miss being around those players and the incredible people I met during my time there. They’ve been such a constant source of support, through thick and thin, and that means the world to me.
Even while facing scrutiny from the NCAA, he explained that the players, coaches, and staff at the university had faith in his ability to improve and succeed. He said their belief in him meant a lot at that time.
After nearly ten years away from school to pursue a career in football, Travis finally completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022. He received his diploma in April 2024 at a special, unexpected graduation ceremony held in Cincinnati after he and his brother Jason recorded a live episode of their podcast, New Heights, at Fifth Third Arena.
As the graduate went to shake the dean’s hand in congratulations, he was already holding a beer and immediately drank it down.
And Travis was going to graduate in 2022 but he missed his flight.
Travis Kelce wasn’t one of the first tight ends drafted in 2013, largely because of some personal issues. He was picked fifth at the position, going to the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round. Once Travis joined the team, coach Andy Reid, who had previously worked with Jason Kelce in Philadelphia, asked Jason to give him a positive recommendation about his brother.
Andy and Travis have three Super Bowl rings to show for Jason’s endorsement.
Travis Scott used to listen to Randy Newman’s song “Burn On” before every game for years, though his pre-game music choices have evolved since then.
Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on family and how grateful I am for my life, he explained on the 2017 NBC Sports podcast, PFT Live.
Let us explain: It’s in the opening credits of Major League, the ultimate Cleveland sports movie.
9. Everyone, including Travis, is mispronouncing his last name.
Everyone’s been pronouncing Kelce as “Kel-see,” but the correct pronunciation actually rhymes with “else.” Jason and he were also pronouncing it that way.
The news came out when Chris Jones, Travis’ teammate, mentioned it on Inside the NFL in January, saying, “It’s just crazy, right?” Travis and his brother Jason later confirmed the story when they talked to their dad, Ed Kelce, on their New Heights podcast.
Jason was confused. “Why did you suddenly change your name? And why did we all think it was ‘Kel-see’ for so long – 27 years for me, 25 for Trav?”
Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”
Travis has worn the number 87 throughout his NFL career to honor his brother, Jason, who was born in 1987.
Travis Kelce shared with NFL Films before the 2023 Super Bowl that the family’s NFL story – having two brothers, himself and Jason, play professionally – began with his birth in 1987. He was referencing the upcoming game between his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and his brother Jason’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Travis Kelce’s Eighty Seven & Running foundation has consistently supported Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City nonprofit learning center. He first began volunteering there in 2015, reading The Cat in the Hat to the children, and has been involved ever since.
Yes, reader, he wore the hat.
Since then, Travis has supported the program by funding their Smart Lab and purchasing the building next door. This allowed them to create the Ignition Lab, where students transformed old, discarded cars into functional electric vehicles.
I absolutely love how Travis and Jason refer to us, their listeners, as “92 percenters!” It all started when Jason was talking about a quarterback sneak – you know, when the quarterback just tries to push forward for one yard – and he said it works about 92% of the time when you need that one yard to score. It’s become our little inside joke and a really fun way for them to connect with all of us.
Listeners of the podcast really loved a particular statistic, and playfully started calling themselves the “92 percenters.” The podcast’s website described it as a shared inside joke among fans.
Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?
I’ve noticed Travis Kelce is incredibly dedicated to staying in top form, and it’s amazing! He actually has three personal trainers – Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng – and from what I’ve read, one of them travels with him constantly to make sure he’s always ready for football, even during the off-season. It’s a testament to his work ethic!
Alex, a physical therapist, remembered Travis wanting to go for a run late at night after Paris Fashion Week. Travis had skipped his usual workout that day and was eager to get some exercise.
According to an interview with the New York Times in April, the trainer said they were doing sprint workouts on the bridges above the river at midnight. He emphasized that no matter where his athlete is, he always makes time to complete necessary tasks.
Travis has been friends with his personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, since they were kids growing up in Cleveland Heights.
In 2016, he was driving a truck and enjoyed cooking as a hobby when Travis contacted him with a job offer.
Kumar recounted to Vanity Fair in 2023 that the person said, ‘I really want to commit to a healthier diet and take it to the next level.’ Kumar responded that he immediately agreed, and just three or four days later, he found himself in Kansas City.
He handles a wide range of tasks, from simple things like keeping Travis’ fridge full to making sure the Chiefs players get healthy lunches at practice.
Travis Kelce has been getting a lot of attention for his facial hair lately. He recently shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he shaved his beard after the season in 2023 but kept his mustache to copy the look of coach Andy Reid, who’s known for his walrus mustache. He decided to do it again in 2024.
In April 2024, Travis signed a two-year contract worth $34.25 million, making him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end for the first time in his career.
Which finally put an end to years of chatter about how much money he wasn’t making.
In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Travis Kelce joked that his managers and agents frequently point out how much he deserves to be paid. He said that whenever he brings up wanting a raise, they always tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for more money.
By that point, he had so many other ways to earn money that he was more interested in enjoying his work than in how much it paid.
He said the idea of a free market seems appealing until you experience losing. He emphasized his enjoyment of success and his satisfaction with his current position.
Honestly, seeing how much other players are earning really stings. It makes you wonder if you’re getting a fair deal, and if pushing harder would actually translate to the compensation you deserve. It’s a tough thought, but at the end of the day, I genuinely love going to work every single day, and that’s what matters most to me.
Travis developed a passion for clothing early on, growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily “fashion show” in a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.
He turned a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and over 300 pairs of sneakers. He even splurged on a pair of size-13 Nike Air Mags with a significant part of his first professional salary, even though they didn’t quite fit.
You know, back when I was starting out, before all the amazing sneaker apps we have now, getting the shoes I wanted was a lot simpler – and sometimes a little tougher! I just grabbed whatever size was available. It wasn’t about finding the perfect fit, it was about actually getting the shoe!
He’s a big fan of Nike, especially since they sponsor him, but he also loves Chuck Taylor sneakers. They remind him of Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez, the amazing baseball player from the movie The Sandlot.
18. Among his dozens of investments, Travis co-owns Ohio-brewed Garage Beer with Jason.
Travis shared in a statement last June that he enjoys a beer every now and then, so he’s thrilled to be an owner of Garage Beer and help create a great light beer. He believes there’s nothing quite like a cold beer to bring people together, and that’s what it’s all about for him and his partner, Jason—spending time with friends, family, and having fun.
19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.
He reminisced about the show Gossip Girl, describing it on the New Heights podcast as a classic New York high school drama. He explained it was full of gossip and people talking negatively about each other.
His new favorite show? Peacock’s Emmy-winning backstab-a-ganza The Traitors.
After 12 seasons in the NFL, 35-year-old Travis has recently been sharing more about the physical challenges of playing football.
From the very beginning, he’s quietly endured a lot of physical hardship. It started when a knee injury—a small fracture—forced him to miss his first season as a player, and it’s continued with a total of ten surgeries throughout his career.
Travis Kelce recently shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he tried to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it while she was performing in Kansas City, but wasn’t able to.
She heard through mutual connections that Travis wanted to meet her, so she reached out to him.
He told WSJ. Magazine that she explained the entire situation to him, and how fortunate he was that she contacted him.
Travis has always loved French toast, especially when it’s topped with whipped cream and syrup.
But more recently he’s become a fan of his girlfriend’s homemade Pop-Tarts and cinnamon rolls.
23. At least one of Travis’ ringtones is Chris Farley shrieking “For the love of God!” in Tommy Boy.
He told WSJ. Magazine that he’s eager to share his favorite comedians – like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell – with Taylor. He explained, “I told her, ‘This is what I really love.’”
After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis Kelce shouted “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This inspired the team to play the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at home games in Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach described Travis Kelce as a huge boost to team morale in a 2020 interview with ESPN. It’s difficult to measure exactly how valuable that is, Veach said, but Kelce’s positive energy, charisma, and passion are contagious. Everyone in the Chiefs organization considers Travis a friend, and he consistently lifts the spirits, focus, and attention of those around him – all while keeping things enjoyable.
The person who famously introduced the 1986 song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics until he had to sing it with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.
In May 2024, Travis revealed his three favorite Taylor Swift songs: “Blank Space,” “The Alchemy,” and “So High School.”
When asked about them a few months later, he gave a different answer, saying, “I love them all—absolutely every single one.”
He publicly stated in August 2025 that his favorite song from The Life of a Show Girl is “Opalite.”
I remember even when Travis Kelce first came into the league, people were already talking about him being on the same path as Tony Gonzalez! Gonzalez was a legendary tight end for the Chiefs – he played for 17 seasons before retiring in 2013 – and the comparisons to Kelce started almost immediately. It was clear early on that Kelce had that kind of potential.
Back in 2015, as people began to seriously discuss whether Travis would exceed Tony’s accomplishments—and how letdown fans would be if he didn’t—Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.
I’m my own harshest critic,” he explained to Complex. “I’m aiming for a record-breaking season – I want to have the best statistical year any tight end has ever had.”
In 2024, Travis became the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions, breaking the previous record with his 917th catch.
Travis recently shared on the New Heights podcast how things often come back around. He pointed out that being a leader on the Kansas City Chiefs – a team with roots going back to the 1960s – feels special, as they’re one of the original franchises still performing at a high level. He attributes much of their success to the team’s history and the influence of players like Tony Gonzalez, whom he deeply admires and considers a mentor.
27. Of Travis’ many accomplishments, keeping his house in order on his own isn’t one of them.
“He can’t clean,” mom Donna Kelce told Extra in September 2024. “He can’t cook.”
But perhaps hosting a special someone served as extra motivation to get it together.
“He’s getting a little better,” Donna acknowledged. “I think he’s getting some help.”
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2025-12-16 19:19