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 highly accomplished American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Drafted in 2013, he has become a key player for the team, contributing significantly to their success. Kelce has won three Super Bowls (LIV, LVII, and LVIII) with the Chiefs, solidifying his status as one of the league's top tight ends. Prior to his NFL career, he played college football at the University of Cincinnati.

Sections (4)

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

June 6, 2013: Signed Rookie Contract with Chiefs

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

2013: Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs

In 2013, Travis Kelce was drafted 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 Multiple Touchdown Game

In 2015, Travis Kelce had his first NFL multiple touchdown game, with six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Texans. He also earned his way to his first Pro Bowl.

January 29, 2016: Signed Contract Extension

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

2018: Notable 2018 Season Performance

In the 2018 season, Travis Kelce benefited from the rise of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, recording 103 receptions for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro.

2019: Four Consecutive Seasons with 1,000+ Receiving Yards

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

2019: Reciting Beastie Boys Song After AFC Championship

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.

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2019: Founded 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 the private equity firm L Catterton's purchase of the condiment brand Cholula Hot Sauce.

January 2020: Launched Tru Kolors Clothing Brand

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

2020: Earned Investment Return from Cholula Hot Sauce Sale

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

2021: Release of Signature Sneaker Collection with Nike

In 2021, Travis Kelce released a signature sneaker collection as part of a deal with Nike. The collection was called Nike x Kelce Blazer Mid '77 Vintage.

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 named after and endorsed by Travis Kelce. A portion of proceeds from the sale of the cereal was donated to Kelce's charity foundation.

September 2022: Launch of "New Heights" Podcast

In September 2022, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason launched a weekly sports podcast called New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, produced with Wave Sports + Entertainment. The podcast covers NFL news, rumors, and sports headlines.

2022: Reached 10,000 Career Receiving Yards

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

2022: Tru Kolors Collaboration with Kansas City Chiefs

In 2022, Travis Kelce's Tru Kolors clothing brand 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 podcast New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce was named the Sports Podcast of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

February 2023: Podcast Popularity Surge During Super Bowl LVII

In February 2023, the New Heights podcast experienced a rise in popularity when Travis and Jason Kelce faced off in Super Bowl LVII. It reached the No. 1 in Apple sports podcasts.

March 5, 2023: Hosted Saturday Night Live

On March 5, 2023, Travis Kelce hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.

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April 2023: Launch of Kelce Jam Music Festival

In April 2023, Travis Kelce announced the launch of his own annual music festival called Kelce Jam. The first edition of the event, held in Bonner Springs, Kansas during the 2023 NFL draft weekend, featured artists including Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, Loud Luxury and Tech N9ne.

September 2023: "New Heights" becomes #1 sports podcast

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 with Walmart

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: Estimated Off-the-Field Earnings

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: Investment in Alpine F1 Team

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

2023: Long Drive Contest Win at American Century Championship

In 2023, Travis Kelce participated in the American Century Championship, at which he won the long drive contest.

2023: Performing with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show

In 2023, Travis Kelce performed the song "Fight for Your Right" with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

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2023: Super Bowl LVIII Win

In 2023, Travis Kelce surpassed Jerry Rice in career playoff receptions and won Super Bowl LVIII. This was Kelce's fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons.

2023: Featured on "Fairytale of Philadelphia"

In 2023, Travis Kelce was featured with his brother Jason on the cover of "Fairytale of New York" (1987) by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, titled "Fairytale of Philadelphia", which appeared on the 2023 album A Philly Special Christmas Special. The song reached number one on both the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart and Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.

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2023: Increased Interest in NFL Due to Relationship with Taylor Swift

In 2023, Travis Kelce's highly publicized relationship with Taylor Swift and her attendance at games stimulated interest in the Chiefs and the NFL during the 2023 season.

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

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.

June 2024: Joined Taylor Swift Onstage at Eras Tour

In June 2024, Travis Kelce joined Taylor Swift onstage at her Eras Tour concert in Wembley Stadium, dancing in a top hat and tails during her performance of "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart".

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2024: Second Edition of Kelce Jam Music Festival

In 2024, Travis Kelce held the second edition of the Kelce Jam music festival, with headlining performances from 2 Chainz, Diplo and Lil Wayne. The festival saw an attendance of 20,000 fans.

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

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

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2024: Ownership 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: New Heights Podcast Ranking

In 2024, the podcast 'New Heights,' co-hosted by Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, was ranked as the 8th most popular podcast in the US on Apple Podcasts.

March 2025: "New Heights" wins Best Sports Podcast award

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

2025: Opening of 1587 Prime Steakhouse

In 2025, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes will open a steakhouse called 1587 Prime at the Loews Hotel Kansas City.

2025: Most Fan Votes for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games

Travis Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift significantly increased his popularity with casual and non-NFL fans, such as resulting in him receiving the most fan votes for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games.