Travis Kelce’s Teammates React to His Possible NFL Retirement

by

Have football fans witnessed Travis Kelce’s final play?

Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on January 4th, players shared emotional messages with tight end Travis Kelce, adding to rumors that he might retire after 13 seasons.

After the game, quarterback Chris Oladokun thanked Travis in the locker room, as reported by The Kansas City Star. Defensive tackle Chris Jones also expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for everything.”

Linebacker Cole Christiansen addressed the unspoken situation directly, telling a teammate, “It’s been an honor playing with you, no matter what happens.”

Even though his coworkers congratulated him on his engagement to Taylor Swift (which happened in August), Travis didn’t say anything about what his plans were for playing football.

“Who knows?” he told the outlet. “Either (a decision) hits me quick, or I gotta take some time.”

The 36-year-old added that last year felt more manageable. They quickly decided they wanted to try again this year, but aren’t sure what the future holds. “We’ll see,” they said.

If the three-time Super Bowl winner chooses to play another season, he’s already thinking about how to help the Chiefs improve after a challenging year.

I felt well-prepared and eager to start the season with a positive mindset. Unfortunately, we just didn’t get the results we wanted in many games. If I decide to play again, I need to prioritize being fully fit and ready to perform when it matters most.

Travis has continued to excel this year, even with the Chiefs’ recent loss to the Raiders. During the game, he surpassed 13,000 career receiving yards, making him just the third tight end ever—following Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez—to reach this impressive milestone.

Travis’s teammate, Patrick Mahomes, who recently suffered a season-ending ACL injury, was quick to celebrate, reacting with a flexing emoji and the message “13K!” on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Travis is thinking about what to do next in his career. Here’s a look at some of his biggest achievements so far, both in his personal life and at work.

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, the announcer proudly states 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 and brother Jason Kelce’s Hall of Fame induction in 2019, he admitted he faced difficulties, even losing his scholarship due to some poor choices. He joked that he was likely known at Cleveland Heights High as the one who made those mistakes, and that many others from the school probably had similar experiences.

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 the city, and even his celebratory moments are a tribute to Cleveland Heights 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 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 to ask their opinions on the Affordable Care Act.

They did, and Travis could not wait to get back on the field.

Travis was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing hockey, baseball, and basketball before focusing on football. He originally started as a quarterback, and was even recruited to 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 then-coach, Butch Jones, and he felt a tight end would be a good addition. Luckily, my abilities and athleticism fit what they needed, and it turned out to be a perfect fit for me.

He told GQ magazine in 2017, reflecting on a difficult time, that people had always thought of him as a tight end, even before his career took a different turn.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe the stories about the house at 127 W. Nixon Street! That’s where Travis lived with Jason and the other guys on the Bearcats team, and let me tell you, it was a party. Seriously, a LOT of beer was involved, and things got pretty wild. It was legendary, honestly!

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 creating spontaneous drinking games that they were surprisingly skilled at.

5. And suffice it to say, Travis is extremely proud of being a Bearcat.

Before the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs player shared how much Cincinnati means to him. He expressed strong pride in his time at the University of Cincinnati, where he recently earned his degree. He makes an effort to support the university whenever possible, enjoying returning to campus and reconnecting with former teammates and the people who’ve supported him through thick and thin.

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 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 Jason recorded a live episode of their podcast, New Heights, at Fifth Third Arena.

As the graduate walked up to the dean for a congratulatory handshake, 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 he joined the team, coach Andy Reid, who had previously worked with 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, though his pre-game music choices have since changed.

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.”

The news came out when Chris Jones, a teammate of Travis Kelce, mentioned it on Inside the NFL back in January, famously saying, “Fking 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 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?”

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 story of his family’s NFL success – with both him and his brother Jason playing professionally – began in 1987, the year he was born. He was referencing the beginning of what would become a legacy for the Kelce brothers, as he and Jason faced off with their respective teams, the Chiefs and the 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 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 quarterback sneak – a short-yardage play – succeeding about 92% of the time when a team only needs one yard to score a touchdown.

Listeners loved the podcast so much they started calling themselves the “92 percenters.” The podcast’s website described the nickname as a way for fans to connect with each other, like a shared inside joke.

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 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 felt the need to be active.

According to an interview with the New York Times in April, the trainer said they were doing sprint workouts on the bridges over the river at midnight. He emphasized that, regardless of location, the athlete always makes time to complete necessary tasks.

Travis has known his personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, since they were kids growing up 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 like, ‘I really want to commit to a healthy diet and get serious about it.’ Kumar responded that he was immediately on board, and just a few days later, he found himself in Kansas City.

He handles a wide range of tasks, from simple things like keeping Travis’ fridge full 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 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 favored by his coach, Andy Reid – and he’s doing 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 – 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 how little he earns. He said whenever he mentions wanting a raise, they 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 getting a big salary.

He said the idea of a free market seems good until you experience losing. He emphasized his enjoyment of success and 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 whether pushing for a bigger contract would actually pay off. Despite those concerns, he genuinely enjoys his work and loves going to the facility each 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 in a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair.

He turned a bedroom into a walk-in closet to store his expensive clothes and impressive sneaker collection of over 300 pairs. He even splurged on a pair of size-13 Nike Air Mags with a significant portion 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.

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 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 for him and his partner, Jason, that’s what beer is really 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 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, but in a fun way.

His new favorite show? Peacock’s Emmy-winning backstab-a-ganza The Traitors.

After playing in the NFL for twelve seasons, 35-year-old Travis has recently been sharing more about the physical challenges of the sport.

From the very beginning, he’s bravely battled through constant pain, 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 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 explained to WSJ. Magazine that she had clearly explained the situation to him, and how fortunate he was that she contacted him.

I’ve known Travis for ages, and honestly, French toast is his absolute weakness! He’s loved it forever – always with a generous helping of whipped cream and whatever syrups he can get his hands on. It’s just his go-to comfort food.

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 adopting the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name as their touchdown celebration song at every home game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach described Travis Kelce as a huge boost to the team’s energy. He explained in 2020 that it’s difficult to measure exactly how valuable Kelce is, because he’s a charismatic and passionate player who inspires everyone around him. Kelce is well-liked by the entire team, and consistently lifts their spirits, improves their focus, and makes the workplace enjoyable.

The person who enthusiastically introduced the song to everyone surprisingly didn’t learn all the lyrics to the 1986 hit until they had to sing it with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in February 2023.

In May 2024, Travis Scott 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.”

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 could become even more successful than Tony, and how letdown everyone would be if he didn’t, Travis claimed he ignored all the talk.

I’ve been following this player for a while, and honestly, what he told Complex really resonated with me. He admitted he’s his own harshest critic, and that he’s aiming for a record-breaking season – he wants to go down as the best tight end, statistically, the game has ever seen. It’s a huge goal, but knowing his work ethic, I think he’s got a real shot!

In 2024, Travis became the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions, breaking Tony’s record with his 917th catch.

Travis recently shared on the New Heights podcast how things often come back around. He was reflecting on being a leader on the Kansas City Chiefs, a team with a long history dating back to the 1960s—one of the original franchises that’s still thriving. He attributes much of the team’s success to its strong legacy and specifically mentioned Tony Gonzalez, who he considers a mentor and 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.”

Read More

2026-01-05 22:55