Travis Kelce is not ready to throw in the towel.
With questions surrounding Patrick Mahomes‘ future after his recent ACL injury, the 36-year-old is remaining positive, even though there’s a chance he may have played his final game alongside his teammate and friend.
During a press conference on December 19th, Travis Kelce—engaged to Taylor Swift—shared that he’s currently focused on the Chiefs and will continue to prioritize them in the future.
Even though the Chiefs have been eliminated from playoff contention, Travis promised to continue playing with full effort in their final three regular season games.
This is a strange and new experience for me,” the player said. He explained that this is the first time in a decade the Chiefs won’t be competing in the playoffs. “Usually, we enter the postseason not knowing how long our run will last – that’s what makes it exciting. But I want everyone to know I’m still completely focused on winning games.”
The Chiefs will play the Tennessee Titans on December 21st, then host the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. They’ll finish the season with a game against the Las Vegas Raiders on January 4th.
With Travis Kelce’s contract with the Chiefs nearing its end, people are wondering what he’ll do next, and whether he might retire from professional football.
Speaking to reporters in November, the player said he wants to let the Chiefs know his plans for next season before April. He wants them to have time to consider their options – including potential draft picks and free agency – before those opportunities arise. He plans to make his decision at the end of the current season and won’t think about it until then.
For more on Travis’ life on and off the field, keep reading.
Although Travis Kelce is now famously associated with Kansas City, Missouri, he actually spent his childhood in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
During game broadcasts where players are introduced, the announcer proudly calls out 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 he was ‘that guy’ who made mistakes, something many people from their high school could probably relate to.
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 is motivated by his love for Cleveland Heights, and even his celebrations – like dancing after scoring – are a tribute to the city and its people.
2. About that revoked scholarship…
Following Cincinnati’s perfect 2009 season and their 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 suspended him for the entire 2010 season and he lost his college scholarship. This left him without housing or meals, so he moved in with his brother Jason – sharing a room in the house Jason shared with 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 his high school football team as a quarterback and was even considered a two-star recruit for Cincinnati. However, he switched positions to tight end as a requirement 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 needed more support for both our running and passing attacks,” Travis explained to Arrowhead Pride. “I spoke with my coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end would be a good fit. Luckily, my abilities, athleticism, and how I played translated well to the position, and it all worked out perfectly for me.
He told GQ magazine in 2017, reflecting on a low point in his career, that people had always thought of him as a tight end, regardless of what he was 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.
Before the 2024 Super Bowl, a college friend and teammate, Tom DeTemple, told the New York Times that the brothers would spend hours playing Nintendo 64. He described them enthusiastically mashing the controller buttons while also drinking beer, and often inventing spontaneous drinking games while they played – and they were surprisingly skilled at them.
5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.
Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the quarterback told reporters how much Cincinnati means to him. He’s very proud of his time at the University of Cincinnati, where he recently earned his degree, and he makes an effort to support the school whenever he can. He especially misses the players and people he met there who have always supported him through good times and bad.
Even while facing scrutiny from the NCAA, he explained that the players, coaches, and staff at the university had faith in him and believed he could improve his situation. He said that support meant a lot to him at the time.
After nearly ten years away from school to pursue his football career, Travis completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022. He officially received his diploma in April 2024 at a special, impromptu 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 coached Travis’s brother Jason in Philadelphia, asked Jason to give him a positive recommendation about Travis.
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, although his pre-game music choices have since changed.
Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, this song always makes me reflect on my family and how grateful I am for my life, he shared 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.”
The news first came out when Chris Jones, Travis’ teammate, mentioned it on Inside the NFL back in January, famously saying, “Fking crazy, right?” Travis and Jason Kelce then confirmed the story when they talked to their dad, Ed Kelce, on their New Heights podcast.
Jason was confused. “Why the sudden name change? And why did we all think our name was Kel-see for so long—27 years for me, 25 for Trav?” he asked.
Ed admitted he “got tired of correcting people” but urged his son to “do whatever you want.”
Travis has worn the number 87 his entire NFL career to honor his brother, Jason, who was born in 1987.
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 in 1987 with his own birth, just before the 2023 Super Bowl where his Chiefs faced Jason’s Eagles.
Travis Kelce’s Eighty Seven & Running foundation has consistently supported Operation Breakthrough, a Kansas City nonprofit learning center. He’s been involved with the organization since 2015, when he first volunteered by reading The Cat in the Hat to the children.
Yes, reader, he wore the hat.
Since then, Travis has supported the program by funding its 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 listeners “92 percenters.” This nickname comes from a joke Jason made about a football play called a quarterback sneak, which he said succeeds about 92% of the time when a team only needs to gain one yard for a touchdown.
Listeners loved the podcast so much they started calling themselves the “92 percenters,” as if it were a special inside joke, according to the podcast’s website.
Who were the Kelce brothers to argue with that?
Travis Kelce works with three 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 throughout the year, 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 felt the need to be active.
I always say, true dedication knows no time constraints! I recently shared with the New York Times about a client who embodies this perfectly. We were literally running sprints over bridges at midnight! It just proves that no matter the circumstances, if you’re committed, you will find a way to accomplish what you set out to do. It’s about prioritizing and making it happen, period.
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, ‘I really want to commit to a healthier diet and make a big change.’ Kumar responded by saying he was on board immediately, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.
He handles a wide range of tasks, from simple things like filling Travis’ refrigerator to more involved duties like providing nutritious lunches for the entire Chiefs team at their practice facility.
Travis Kelce has been getting a lot of attention for his facial hair lately. He shared on his podcast, New Heights, that he shaved his beard after the season in 2023 but kept his mustache to copy the look favored by his coach, Andy Reid, and continued the style into 2024.
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 frequently point out he deserves a raise. He said whenever he brings up wanting more money, they tell him to ask the Kansas City Chiefs for one.
By that point, he had so many other ways to make money that he was more interested in enjoying his work than earning a large salary.
He explained that while a free market sounds good in theory, it’s frustrating when you don’t succeed. He emphasized his enjoyment of winning and his satisfaction with his current position.
He admitted it’s discouraging to see other players earning so much more money. It makes him wonder if he’s being fairly compensated and if pushing for a bigger contract would actually pay off. Despite those concerns, he genuinely enjoys his work and loves going to the arena every day.
Travis developed a passion for clothing early on, growing up in Cleveland Heights. He described his high school as a daily fashion show, according to a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.
He transformed a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and impressive sneaker collection, which included 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.
Okay, so back when I was starting out – before all these crazy sneaker apps existed, honestly – I just grabbed whatever size of the shoe I wanted that I could find. It was a free-for-all! You didn’t have all this tech making it easy, you just had to hunt, and whatever fit, I took. Seriously, it was a different world!
As a lifestyle enthusiast, I always find it fascinating to learn what resonates with people on a personal level. For this particular client, while he’s a huge Nike fan – and benefits from their sponsorship, of course – he has a real soft spot for Converse Chuck Taylors. They transport him right back to his childhood, reminding him of the iconic baseball player Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez from the movie The Sandlot. It’s those little nostalgic touches that really make a difference, don’t you think?
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 from time to time, 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 he and Jason want Garage Beer to be all about—connecting with friends and family and having a good time.
19. We’re sensing a theme when it comes to Travis’ guilty pleasure TV choices.
He reminisced about the TV show Gossip Girl, describing it on the New Heights podcast as a classic New York high school drama filled with gossip and conflict. He said it was ‘awesome’ because everyone was constantly talking 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.
He’s quietly endured a lot of hardship from the start, ever since a knee injury kept him from playing his first season. That injury was the first of ten surgeries he’s undergone 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, and then she reached out to him.
He told WSJ. Magazine that she explained the whole situation to him and how he was fortunate she contacted him.
I’ve known Travis for ages, and one thing has always been true: he’s absolutely obsessed with French toast. Seriously, it’s his ultimate comfort food – piled high with whipped cream and all sorts of delicious syrups. It’s been his favorite dessert as long as I can remember!
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 the team to begin playing the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name after every touchdown scored at home games in Arrowhead Stadium.
As a huge Chiefs fan, I’ve always known Travis Kelce is special, and Brett Veach really hit the nail on the head when he described him. It’s hard to put into words just how much he brings to the team. He’s got this incredible energy and positive attitude that just lifts everyone up. Seriously, everyone in the building is friends with Travis! He’s a true mood booster, helps everyone stay focused, and makes things fun, even when the pressure is on. He doesn’t just play hard, he makes us play harder too.
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.”
I remember reading that he specifically stated back in August 2025 that his favorite song from The Life of a Show Girl is “Opalite.” It’s always been a standout track to me, so it’s great to know it’s his top pick too!
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 seriously discuss whether Travis could outdo Tony’s accomplishments—and how letdown everyone would be if he didn’t—Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.
I’m my own harshest critic,” he explained to Complex. “My goal is to have the best statistical season ever for a tight end.”
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 teams still performing at a high level. He credits their long history and players like Tony Gonzalez, who has been a significant influence and someone he greatly admires.
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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2025-12-20 01:49