Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Travis Kelce

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Travis Kelce made an impact.

Travis Kelce is a prominent American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft, he has since become a key player for the team. Kelce has achieved significant success, winning Super Bowls LIV, LVII, and LVIII with the Chiefs. Prior to his NFL career, he played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2007: Senior Year Football Stats

In 2007, as a senior at Cleveland Heights High School, Travis Kelce rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw for 1,523 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, earning him All-Lake Erie League honors.

2008: Redshirt Year at Cincinnati

In 2008, Travis Kelce redshirted at the University of Cincinnati.

2009: Debut at Cincinnati

In 2009, Travis Kelce appeared in 11 games for the Cincinnati Bearcats, playing at tight end and quarterback out of the wildcat formation. He had eight rushes for 47 yards and two touchdowns and one reception for three yards.

2011: Jason Kelce Drafted by Eagles

In 2011, Andy Reid drafted Jason Kelce, Travis's brother, while he was the head coach of the Eagles. This connection later influenced Travis Kelce's draft by the Chiefs.

2011: Returns to Cincinnati Bearcats

In 2011, Travis Kelce returned to the Cincinnati Bearcats, playing tight end and recording 13 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

2012: Final Collegiate Season

In 2012, Travis Kelce had his last collegiate season, setting personal season highs in receptions (45), receiving yards (722), yards per reception (16.0), and receiving touchdowns (8).

June 6, 2013: Signs with Kansas City Chiefs

On June 6, 2013, Travis Kelce signed a four-year, $3.12 million rookie contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, including a signing bonus of $703,304.

October 12, 2013: Placed on Injured Reserve

On October 12, 2013, Travis Kelce was placed on injured reserve after having microfracture surgery performed on his knee.

2013: Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs

In 2013, Travis Kelce was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the NFL draft.

2014: Leading Receiver for Chiefs

During the 2014 season, Travis Kelce was the Chiefs' leading receiver, totaling 862 yards off 67 receptions.

2015: First Pro Bowl Selection

In 2015, Travis Kelce started all 16 regular season games, recorded 72 catches for 875 yards and five touchdowns, and earned his way to his first Pro Bowl.

January 29, 2016: Signs Contract Extension

On January 29, 2016, Travis Kelce signed a five-year, $46 million contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.

December 20, 2016: Named Pro Bowl Starter

On December 20, 2016, Travis Kelce was named as a starter in his second career Pro Bowl.

December 19, 2017: Named to Pro Bowl

On December 19, 2017, Travis Kelce was named to his third straight Pro Bowl.

2018: First-Team All-Pro Selection

In the 2018 season, Travis Kelce was named to the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro. He finished the regular season with 103 receptions and 1,336 receiving yards.

2019: AFC Championship Celebration

In 2019, Travis Kelce began reciting the chorus from the Beastie Boys' 1986 song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" during team celebrations, starting after the 2019 AFC Championship Game.

Loading Video...

2019: Founding of Hilo Nutrition

In 2019, Travis Kelce founded his own health brand, Hilo Nutrition, which sells gummy supplements for performance nutrition and other health benefits.

2019: Investment in Cholula Hot Sauce

In 2019, Travis Kelce invested in L Catterton's purchase of the condiment brand Cholula Hot Sauce.

2019: Fifth Pro Bowl Selection

In 2019, Travis Kelce was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. He also became the first tight end in NFL history to record four consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

January 2020: Launch of Tru Kolors Clothing Brand

In January 2020, Travis Kelce launched his own clothing brand, Tru Kolors.

August 14, 2020: Contract Extension

On August 14, 2020, Kelce signed a four-year, $57 million contract extension with the Chiefs, keeping him with the team through the 2025 season.

2020: Sale of Cholula Hot Sauce

In 2020, Travis Kelce earned four times his investment when McCormick & Company acquired Cholula Hot Sauce for $800 million.

2020: Single Season Receiving Yards Record

In 2020, Travis Kelce set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season with 1,416 yards, despite playing in only 15 games.

2021: Signature Sneaker Collection with Nike

In 2021, Travis Kelce released a signature sneaker collection as part of a deal with Nike called Nike x Kelce Blazer Mid '77 Vintage, including six shoes inspired by his life and team colors.

August 2022: Launch of "Kelce's Krunch" Cereal

In August 2022, Hy-Vee began manufacturing "Kelce's Krunch", a limited-edition frosted cornflakes breakfast cereal endorsed by Travis Kelce, with a portion of proceeds donated to his charity foundation.

September 2022: Launch of "New Heights" Podcast

In September 2022, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason launched the "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" podcast, produced with Wave Sports + Entertainment, discussing NFL news and their games. The podcast is broadcast on YouTube and released in video and audio formats.

2022: 10,000 Career Receiving Yards

During the 2022 season, Travis Kelce became the fifth NFL tight end to reach 10,000 career receiving yards, achieving this milestone faster than any other tight end in NFL history.

2022: Tru Kolors Collaboration with Kansas City Chiefs

In 2022, Travis Kelce's brand, Tru Kolors, became the first brand by an NFL player to launch an official merchandise collaboration with an NFL franchise: the Kansas City Chiefs.

2022: "New Heights" Named Sports Podcast of the Year

In 2022, the "New Heights" podcast was named the Sports Podcast of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

February 2023: Podcast Popularity Surge

In February 2023, the "New Heights" podcast experienced a rise in popularity as Travis and Jason faced off in Super Bowl LVII. It reached No. 1 in Apple sports podcasts and No. 3 on Spotify in all podcast categories.

April 2023: Launch of Kelce Jam

In April 2023, Travis Kelce announced the launch of his annual music festival called Kelce Jam, held in Bonner Springs, Kansas. The inaugural event featured Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, Loud Luxury and Tech N9ne and quickly sold out.

May 2023: Signed with Creative Artists Agency

In May 2023, Kelce signed with Creative Artists Agency for off-the-field representation.

September 2023: "New Heights" Ranks #1

After the premiere of the second season in September 2023, New Heights became the No. 1 sports podcast in the U.S. and the No. 1 sports podcast globally on Spotify as well as No. 1 among all podcasts on Apple.

October 2023: Launch of Travis Kelce's Kitchen

In October 2023, Travis Kelce and Walmart launched Travis Kelce's Kitchen, a line of seven barbecue products inspired by the flavors of Kansas City.

2023: Kelce's Endorsement Earnings Estimated

In 2023, Business Insider estimated that Travis Kelce makes $5 million a year in off-the-field earnings and stated that "he was one of football's most successful endorsers."

2023: Release of "Fairytale of Philadelphia"

In 2023, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason were featured on the cover of "Fairytale of Philadelphia", a rendition of "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, for the album A Philly Special Christmas Special. Proceeds benefited Philadelphia charities. The song topped the US iTunes chart.

Loading Video...

2023: Saturday Night Live Hosting

In 2023, Travis Kelce hosted an episode of "Saturday Night Live".

Loading Video...

2023: Investment in Alpine F1 Team

In 2023, Travis Kelce joined a group of investors, including Ryan Reynolds and teammate Mahomes, to buy a stake in Alpine, a UK-based French Formula One team.

2023: Participation in The Match VIII and American Century Championship

In 2023, Travis Kelce participated in The Match VIII, teaming up with Patrick Mahomes against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and winning. He also won the long drive contest at the American Century Championship.

2023: Performance on The Tonight Show

In 2023, Travis Kelce performed the Beastie Boys' song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

Loading Video...

2023: Super Bowl LVIII Win

In 2023, Travis Kelce won Super Bowl LVIII, marking his fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons. He also surpassed Jerry Rice in career playoff receptions.

January 21, 2024: Record Viewership for Chiefs-Bills Game

On January 21, 2024, the Chiefs–Buffalo Bills game became the most-watched NFL divisional playoff game ever and the most-watched program on any network since Super Bowl LVII.

April 29, 2024: Signs Two-Year Extension

On April 29, 2024, Kelce signed a two-year extension with the Chiefs for $34.25 million, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.

2024: Contribution to "It's Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)"

In 2024, Travis Kelce contributed vocals to the song "It's Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)" on A Philly Special Christmas Party.

Loading Video...

2024: Ownership Stake in Garage Beer

In 2024, Travis Kelce teamed up with his brother Jason as significant owners and operators of the light beer company Garage Beer.

2024: Second Edition of Kelce Jam

In 2024, the second edition of the Kelce Jam festival took place, featuring performances from 2 Chainz, Diplo and Lil Wayne and attracting 20,000 fans.

February 27, 2025: Announcement to Play in 2025 Season

On February 27, 2025, Kelce announced that he would play in the 2025 season, his final year under contract with Kansas City.

March 2025: "New Heights" wins IHeartRadio Award

In March 2025, the New Heights podcast won the Best Sports Podcast award at the IHeartRadio podcast awards.

August 2025: Design collaboration with American Eagle Outfitters

In August 2025, Travis Kelce launched a design collaboration with American Eagle Outfitters.

October 2025: Partnership with Jana Partners to Improve Six Flags

In October 2025, Travis Kelce partnered with activist investment firm Jana Partners and other investors to push American theme park company Six Flags to improve its marketing and guest experiences.

October 25, 2025: Breaks Franchise Record for Total Touchdowns

On October 25, 2025, in a game against the Denver Broncos, Kelce broke the franchise record for total touchdowns with his eighty-fourth overall. He had nine total catches for 91 yards in the game.