A three-time Super Bowl champion, the NFL's highest-paid tight end, a podcast host and Taylor Swift's boyfriend - Travis Kelce has got the world at his feet.
PRE-NFL: THE HIGHS AND LOWS
Travis Kelce's football life began at quarterback, as he earned All-Lake Erie League honors during his senior year of high school - after recording 1,016 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 1523 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns. Kelce finished his time at Cleveland Heights High School as a three-year letter winner — with a ‘letter’ being given to those who demonstrate excellence both athletically and in the classroom.
Widely considered a 2-star recruit, Travis Kelce made the decision to follow his older brother, Jason, to the University of Cincinnati - where he began to make the transition to tight end after redshirting in 2008.
Life hit a speed bump the following year, when Travis Kelce faced a suspension for the entirety of the 2010 season due to testing positive for marijuana — which was a clear breach of team rules and regulations. Thanks to the support of his brother, Travis was allowed to return to the team in the 2011 season — dedicating himself to both his academics and a permanent transition to tight end. In 2012, his final year of college football, Kelce recorded 45 receptions, 722 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns en route to first-team all-conference honors. After being named College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year, Kelce declared for the 2013 NFL Draft.
Despite his exceptional talent, Travis Kelce slipped to the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
A SLOW START TO A PERENNIAL PRO BOWLER
Travis Kelce was selected with the 63rd overall pick in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs — becoming the second Kelce that head coach Andy Reid had selected, after drafting Jason Kelce with the Philadelphia Eagles just two years prior.
After sustaining a knee Injury in the preseason — one which resulted in eventual microfracture surgery — Kelce played a single snap in his rookie season with the Chiefs, with said snap coming on special teams in a Week 2 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
The 2014 season was considerably better for the Chiefs tight end, as Kelce led the team in receiving yards with 862 — despite a fine for "unsportsmanlike conduct” during a 29-16 loss to the Denver Broncos. Kelce continued to improve over the next two seasons — earning Pro Bowl honors in both seasons, along with his first first-team All-Pro selection in the 2016 season after leading all tight ends with 1,125 receiving yards.
Signing Travis Kelce to a five-year, $46 million contract extension prior to the 2016 season undoubtedly paid dividends for the Kansas City Chiefs, as the tight end made both the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team in each of those five seasons. However, when a young quarterback by the name of Patrick Mahomes took the reins in 2018, Kelce's success reached New Heights.
Travis Kelce was named a Pro Bowler in every season between 2015 and 2023.
MAHOMES AND KELCE: RECORD-BREAKERS
In Week 1 of the 2018 season, Kelce and Mahomes combined for just one reception for six yards. That performance, however, would in no way be an indication as to what was to come. By the end of the season, Kelce was in the top 10 for both receptions and receiving yards — with 103 and 1,336 respectively — whilst finishing sixth for receiving touchdowns with 10.
Despite their dominance, the pair failed to lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl — suffering a 37-31 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. As a result, Kelce was more motivated than ever heading into 2019.
By the midpoint of the season, Kelce led all tight ends, and all Chiefs players, with 604 receiving yards. By the end of the season, Kelce had become the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 500 career receptions and the first tight end ever to record four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards.
After overcoming a 24-0 deficit to the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Chiefs found themselves confidently approaching a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. With 43 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, Kelce played a central role in his first Super Bowl victory, as the Chiefs won 31-20.
In 2020, Kelce signed a four-year contract extension worth $57 million — keeping him in Kansas City through the 2025 season. Again, Kelce earned every penny, as he set the record for the most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end with 1,416.
Despite reaching their second-straight Super Bowl - and Kelce posting a record-breaking 133 receiving yards in the game — the Chiefs were unable to take down Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who decisively won Super Bowl LV, 31-9.
Kelce now holds the Kansas City Chiefs franchise record for career receiving yards.
THE KELCE BOWl
Prior to the 2021 season, Kelce became the longest tenured member of the Chiefs — a milestone he celebrated by becoming the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 8,000 career receiving yards in Week 2, before then ending the season as the fastest tight end to reach 9,000 career receiving yards as well. Kelce's 1125 receiving yards extended his record for the most 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end to six.
After falling to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game of the 2021 season, Kelce and Mahomes were set on returning to the Super Bowl in 2022 — a particular challenge without the speed of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins that offseason
In Hill's absence, however, Kelce rose to the challenge — recording his 33rd 100-yard receiving game before becoming just the fifth tight end in NFL history to reach 10,000 receiving yards, in a Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos. Kelce finished the regular season with 110 receptions for 1,338 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns — but he wasn't finished yet. In a Divisional Round matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kelce set a single-game NFL postseason record for a tight end with 14 receptions.
Super Bowl LVII quickly became known as the “Kelce Bow!” as Travis Kelce, with the Chiefs, and Jason Kelce, with the Eagles, became the first brothers to go head-to-head on the sport's biggest stage. Despite a very competitive game, Travis and the Chiefs polished off a 38-35 victory, to claim Kelce's second Lombardi trophy.
Travis Kelce and the Chiefs are seeking the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat in 2024.
NEW HEIGHTS
In Week 1 of the 2018 season, Kelce and Mahomes combined for just one reception for six yards. That performance, however, would in no way be an indication as to what was to come. By the end of the season, Kelce was in the top 10 for both receptions and receiving yards — with 103 and 1,336 respectively — whilst finishing sixth for receiving touchdowns with 10.
Despite their dominance, the pair failed to lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl — suffering a 37-31 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. As a result, Kelce was more motivated than ever heading into 2019.
By the midpoint of the season, Kelce led all tight ends, and all Chiefs players, with 604 receiving yards. By the end of the season, Kelce had become the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 500 career receptions and the first tight end ever to record four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards.
After overcoming a 24-0 deficit to the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Chiefs found themselves confidently approaching a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. With 43 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, Kelce played a central role in his first Super Bowl victory, as the Chiefs won 31-20.
In 2020, Kelce signed a four-year contract extension worth $57 million — keeping him in Kansas City through the 2025 season. Again, Kelce earned every penny, as he set the record for the most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end with 1,416.
Despite reaching their second-straight Super Bowl - and Kelce posting a record-breaking 133 receiving yards in the game — the Chiefs were unable to take down Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who decisively won Super Bowl LV, 31-9.
Thanks to Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, the NFL's female viewership has increased enormously.
