Now that Travis Kelce is thinking about his future plans, Rob Gronkowski is offering some advice based on his own experience.
Having been through a similar experience, my advice to him would be to trust his instincts,” the former NFL tight end said on Good Morning America on December 29th, responding to reports that 36-year-old Kelce is considering retirement. “If he still loves playing football and feels like he belongs on the field, he should explore his options. He needs to carefully consider everything and take the time he needs to make a decision.”
After reports surfaced that Travis Kelce is considering retirement after 13 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Rob Gronkowski shared that a continued passion for the game is essential to keep playing.
The 36-year-old advised only returning to football if you genuinely feel you still have what it takes to play. If your passion isn’t there, he said, there are plenty of other opportunities where you’ll be successful.
Rob Gronkowski first retired from football after playing nine seasons with the New England Patriots in 2019.
After suffering a severe thigh bruise during his third Super Bowl win months before, he explained to reporters that he needed time to heal, both physically and emotionally. He admitted football was no longer bringing him happiness and he was struggling with that loss of joy.
And yet physically, he stressed, “I could play right now.”
It wasn’t much of a shock when Rob Gronkowski returned to play in 2020. He ultimately retired for good in 2022, having won his fourth Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alongside his longtime teammate, Tom Brady.
Travis Kelce has already achieved his MVP award, and with his future wife, Taylor Swift, publicly supporting him and the team, things are looking good.
She gets what it’s like to be a showgirl, but this athlete also has someone else who truly understands how difficult his choice is.
Oh my gosh, I was completely floored when Jason Kelce announced he was retiring! And it was so sweet hearing Travis talk about it before the Chiefs game. He was saying how he always knew Jason would retire around 36, because, you know, his brother – seriously, those two are the best – had kind of hinted at it for a while. It just makes it feel even more real, hearing Travis talk about it like that. I’m going to miss watching Kelce on the field so much!
He also mentioned to Tony Gonzalez that he knows another player who retired at age 37, and that player is you.
Instead of dwelling on the possibility that his time playing at Arrowhead Stadium might be over, the University of Cincinnati graduate said he’s focused on giving his all to the Chiefs and their fans until the very end.
Even though the team has been eliminated from playoff contention and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is out for the season with a torn ACL, Travis Kelce plans to play in their last game against the Las Vegas Raiders on January 4th.
If this turns out to be the end of his football career, Travis Kelce says he’s at peace with it. He explained, “When it’s over, it’s over.” However, he still feels a strong passion for the game. He’d only consider returning if he felt a deep, undeniable pull to play again – a fire he still feels within himself.
That’s just one interesting fact about this veteran player. Continue reading to learn more about the three-time Super Bowl winner.
Although Travis Kelce is now strongly associated with Kansas City, Missouri, he was actually raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
During game broadcasts where 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 has fond memories of his time at the University of Cincinnati, it wasn’t always easy. Speaking at his Cleveland Heights High School Hall of Fame induction in 2019, 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’ many in the room knew who had made mistakes.
You know, Cleveland Heights isn’t just home to me, it’s truly special to everyone who lives here. What I love most is how diverse and vibrant our community is – it really fuels my passion. Honestly, everything I do, whether it’s on or off the field, is for this city. I know it might sound a little cheesy, but when you see me celebrating, that energy, that joy? That’s my way of representing Cleveland Heights and giving back to the people who’ve always supported me.
2. About that revoked scholarship…
Following Cincinnati’s perfect 2009 season and their Big East championship win, 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.
Let me tell you, this young athlete’s situation took a really tough turn. It wasn’t just missing the bowl game – the NCAA suspended him for a whole season, and to make matters worse, he lost his scholarship. Suddenly, he was without a place to live or money for food. He ended up moving in with his brother, basically sharing a room with Jason and some of his teammates. To support himself, he took a job as a telemarketer, and believe me, it wasn’t glamorous – he spent his days calling people and asking for their opinions on the Affordable Care Act. It was a huge setback, but he was determined to keep moving forward.
They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.
Before focusing on football, Travis played hockey, baseball, and basketball. He initially played quarterback in high school and was even recruited by Cincinnati as a two-star QB. However, he had to switch to tight end to rejoin the team after being suspended.
When I was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013, we already had a great quarterback in Zach Collaros, but we were looking to improve both our running and passing attacks. I spoke with my coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end was what we needed. He believed my skills, athleticism, and ability to learn would be a good fit, and it ended up working out perfectly for me, as it turned out.
He told GQ magazine in 2017, reflecting on a particularly embarrassing experience, that people had always thought of him as a tight end, regardless of what he was actually doing.
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 things frequently got wild with a lot of beer involved.
According to college friend and teammate Tom DeTemple, the brothers spent hours playing Nintendo 64, often combining it with drinking games. He told the New York Times before the 2024 Super Bowl that they’d invent spontaneous rules while playing and were surprisingly skilled at it.
5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.
Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs player told reporters how much pride he has for his hometown and the University of Cincinnati. He recently earned his degree from the university and enjoys giving back whenever possible, often returning to campus to reconnect with former teammates and the people who have supported him through thick and thin.
Even when the NCAA was investigating, he explained that the players, coaches, and staff at the university believed in him and his ability to improve. He said that support meant a lot to him then.
After nearly ten years away from school to pursue his football career, Travis completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022. He didn’t receive his diploma, however, until April 2024. He was surprised with a special graduation ceremony at Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena immediately after he and Jason recorded a live episode of their podcast, New Heights.
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 selected by the Chiefs in the third round, as the fifth tight end chosen. Once Travis joined the team, coach Andy Reid, who had previously worked with Jason Kelce in Philadelphia, asked Jason to give him a positive assessment of his younger brother.
Andy and Travis have three Super Bowl rings to show for Jason’s endorsement.
Travis used to listen to Randy Newman’s song “Burn On” before every game for years, though his pre-game music choices have since evolved.
Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on family and appreciate where I am in 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.
You know, everyone seems to be pronouncing Travis Kelce’s name as ‘Kel-see,’ and honestly, that’s how my friend Jason and I have been saying it too! But I recently learned the correct pronunciation actually rhymes with ‘else.’ It’s a little detail, but I like to get it right!
The news came out when Chris Jones, Travis’ teammate, mentioned it on Inside the NFL back in January—he called it “absolutely crazy.” 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 start calling it Kel-see? I’ve been called that for 27 years, and Trav for 25 – it’s so strange!”
Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”
Okay, so you HAVE to know this – Travis Kelce wears number 87 because of his older brother, Jason! Jason was born in 1987, and Travis rocks that number to honor him. It’s just… the sweetest thing, honestly. I mean, family is everything, and seeing that number on the field just makes me smile knowing the story behind it.
Travis Kelce shared with NFL Films that the story of his family’s NFL success – having both him and his brother Jason play professionally – began with his birth in 1987, just before the 2023 Super Bowl where his Kansas City Chiefs faced Jason’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Travis Kelce’s Eighty Seven & Running foundation has consistently supported Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City nonprofit learning center. He first volunteered 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 investing in 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.
Travis and Jason affectionately call their podcast audience “92 percenters.” This nickname comes from a joke Jason made about a football play – the quarterback sneak – which he said succeeds about 92
Listeners loved the podcast so much they playfully started calling themselves the “92 percenters,” as if it were a special inside joke or a shared identity.
Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?
Travis Kelce works with three personal trainers – Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill, and Laurence Justin Ng – and typically has one of them travel with him to help him stay in peak condition for football year-round, according to The Athletic.
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 feeling restless.
The trainer told the New York Times in April that they were doing sprints over the river bridges at midnight. He added that no matter where his athlete is, he always makes time to complete what’s necessary.
Travis’s chef, Kumar Ferguson, is a longtime friend – they’ve known each other since fourth grade when they both lived in Cleveland Heights.
In 2016, he was a truck driver who enjoyed cooking as a hobby when Travis contacted him with a job offer.
Kumar recalled that the person said something along the lines of, ‘I really want to commit to a healthy diet and take it to the next level.’ Kumar responded positively, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.
He handles a wide range of tasks, including everything from keeping Travis’ refrigerator full to making sure the Chiefs players get nutritious lunches at practice.
Okay, so you guys, I’ve been obsessed with Travis’s face lately, and I finally understand the facial hair! He talked about it on New Heights and it’s amazing. Basically, he shaved his beard after the season ended, but kept the mustache… because Andy Reid rocks that walrus look, and Travis loved it so much he’s doing it again this year! It’s just… a tribute to the coach, and honestly, it’s perfect. I knew there was a reason!
In April 2024, Travis signed a two-year contract worth $34.25 million, making him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end – a first for 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 constantly point out how little he earns. He said whenever he mentions wanting a raise, they always tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for more money.
By that point, he had found other ways to make money, so he was more interested in enjoying his work than earning a large salary.
Honestly, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of a free market – it seems exciting until you actually experience a setback. For me, success is everything, and I truly appreciate where I am now. Winning isn’t just nice, it’s what motivates me, and I’m incredibly happy with my current position.
It’s tough seeing other players earn so much money, it definitely stings a little, he confessed. It makes you wonder if you’re being fairly compensated. He wasn’t sure if pushing harder would actually get him the salary he deserves, but he genuinely loves going to work every day.
Travis developed a passion for clothing as a teenager growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily fashion show, according to a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.
He turned a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and impressive sneaker collection—over 300 pairs! 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.
He told the Wall Street Journal that early in his career, before sneaker apps were common, he’d just buy whatever size of shoe he could find that he liked.
He’s a big fan of Nike, especially since they sponsor him, but he also loves Chuck Taylor sneakers. They bring back memories of the movie The Sandlot and its star baseball player, Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez.
18. Among his dozens of investments, Travis co-owns Ohio-brewed Garage Beer with Jason.
As many of you know, I enjoy a good beer every now and then! So, I’m thrilled to be an owner of Garage Beer and really involved in crafting what I think will be the ultimate light beer. Honestly, nothing beats bringing people together like a crisp, cold brew, and that’s what it’s all about for me and my partner Jason – good times with friends and family. It’s all about those simple pleasures!
19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.
I was totally obsessed with Gossip Girl back when it first came out! Travis actually described it perfectly on New Heights – he said it was this amazing New York high school show, full of drama, and everyone was just constantly talking about each other, you know, spreading rumors and being catty. It was addictive!
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.
He’s been remarkably tough and resilient from the start, ever since a knee injury kept him from playing his first season and led to the first of ten surgeries he’s undergone throughout his career.
Travis Kelce recently shared on the New Heights podcast 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, and then she reached out to him.
He told WSJ. Magazine that she explained the whole situation to him, and how fortunate he was that she contacted him.
Travis has always loved French toast, especially when it’s covered in 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 love of comedians like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell with Taylor. He explained, ‘I told her, this is what I’m really into.’
After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship in 2019, Travis Kelce shouted, “You’ve got to fight for your right to party!” This led to the team playing the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at home games at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach described Travis Kelce as a huge boost to team morale, saying in 2020 that it’s difficult to overstate his impact. Kelce brings a special combination of personality, passion, and leadership that draws people in. Everyone in the Chiefs organization considers Travis a friend, and he consistently lifts the spirits, focus, and energy of those around him – all while making things enjoyable.
The person who enthusiastically introduced the song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics to the 1986 hit until he had to sing it with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.
In May 2024, Travis revealed his top three 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.”
People began comparing Travis Kelce to Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs’ all-time great tight end who retired in 2013 after 17 seasons, very early in Kelce’s career.
Back in 2015, as people began to wonder if Travis would be as successful as Tony and express disappointment if he wasn’t, Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.
I’m my own toughest critic,” he explained to Complex. “I’m aiming to have a record-breaking season as a tight end – statistically, the best ever.”
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 it feels to be succeeding with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team with a long and storied history dating back to the 1960s. He pointed out that the Chiefs are one of the original franchises still performing at a high level, and he credits their enduring success to that history and to players like Tony Gonzalez, who has been a significant influence and mentor to him. He expressed a lot of admiration for Gonzalez.
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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2025-12-29 22:19