If there were going to be a list of the best tight ends to have ever hit the field, Travis Kelce would definitely be on there. Despite his troublesome past with the Cincinnati Bearcats, he has since found and reinvented himself alongside Jason Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. So, where did it all start?

Early Life

Travis was the second born of Donna and Ed Kelce. He and his brother, Jason, were raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The two have grown to have an affinity for the area but that was different from where the future Hall of Fame tight end was born. Donna gave birth to Travis in Westlake back in the fifth of October in 1989.

Clearly, they were a family who was very invested in sports. Their mom played track and field back in college and their dad absolutely balled out as a football player back in high school. Both of their parents did not go professional but that did not mean that they were going to prevent Jason and Travis from reaching those athletic dreams.

The Kelce parents were very supportive when it came to their children’s endeavors in any sport. Whether it was basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, baseball, or any other challenge that they wanted to take on, Ed and Donna were there to cheer them on. Eventually, the two brothers decided to focus solely on football, and that very choice paid dividends.

Travis Kelce’s struggles with the Cincinnati Bearcats

Jason joined the Cincinnati Bearcats first and was one of the best offensive linemen in all of the nation despite his small stature. Travis would then follow suit with the hopes that he would play under center for his brother and that dream came to fruition but was halted until tragedy struck. Travis tested positive for marijuana days before the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2010 and was evicted from the team.

The older Kelce had to beg the Cincinnati Bearcats coaching staff to let Travis back in. They did give him an opportunity to go back after being suspended for a whole year. However, this time around, he was a walk-on and no longer part of the scholarship program. Oh and the biggest change? The squad did not need a quarterback. So, this prompted Travis to move to the tight end spot.

By the end of his run with the Bearcats, Travis amassed 59 receptions while playing in 35 games. This got him 875 receiving yards and 47 rushing yards too. All of which were enough for an actual NFL squad to call him up on the night of the draft.

Andy Reid’s Chiefs, Jason Kelce’s vouch, and the 2013 NFL Draft

When the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft commenced, it was not Travis that the Kansas City Chiefs were calling. Jason was the one who Coach Andy Reid wanted to talk to. This is where Big Red started questioning the older Kelce brother if Travis was going to screw things up just like he did back in Cincinnati if they gave him a shot. The Philadelphia Eagles center made it clear that his brother was a changed man and was willing to give his all for the Chiefs. Because of this, he was drafted with the 63rd overall pick.

Travis Kelce’s life right now

This trust by the Chiefs was slowly but surely returned by Travis on the field. He still had some issues when it came to being tardy and buzzed at practice. Opportunities like Catching Kelce have also drastically shaped his life. However, his overall performance was great. He has been named to the Pro Bowl nine times, and given an All-Pro nod four times too. Moreover, he was lauded as a member of the Hall of Fame 2010s team.

However, team success would not come for the Chiefs until 2020. This is where Patrick Mahomes and Travis finally got over the hump to win the Super Bowl. They struggled quite a bit in 2021 and 2022 against Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals. But, this squad bounced back in a big way by winning two straight Super Bowls from 2023 to 2024.

Throughout that time, he has also amassed 922 receptions and 11,486 receiving yards with the longest dart he caught clocking in at 80 yards. These numbers are all capped off by his 74 receiving touchdowns. By the end of his career, he would have shattered the records of Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski. Not to mention, his best catch has to be Taylor Swift.

Net Worth in 2024

Due to all of Travis’ success, he has amassed quite some money in his endeavors.Obviously, his primary source of cash flow is his NFL salary. As of writing, he is the highest-paid tight end in league history after inking a deal worth $34.25 million that spans two years. 

Another facet where he has continuously been thriving is his media appearances. Travis wrapped up Catching Kelce on E!. Rumblings have also surfaced about his reported interest in the host of Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity. The expected income for the Chiefs superstar in that pursuit will clock in at an estimated $750,000. Moreover, his joint podcast with Jason, New Heights, has been very exceptional too. In fact, they just sealed a contract with Amazon’s Wondery which will give the internet show more than $100 million in a span of three years.

To cap off where he gets his cash, endorsements are a big chunk that makes up an athlete’s net worth. Travis has worked with Pfizer, State Farm, McDonald’s, and Campbell’s just in the past year.

Overall, his hard work and effort in turning the tides of his fate post-Cincinnati Bearcats scandal was exceptional. This helped him notch a net worth of $90 million. Not to mention, $30 million of that had just entered his cash flow in the late months of 2023. Surely, his valuation is going to grow bigger with the rise of the Chiefs dynasty, his incoming retirement media opportunities, and the empire that he alongside Taylor Swift would be building.