Travis Kelce has no plans to leave the NFL anytime soon, but he’s already making major career moves off the football field.
Fans have seen a different side of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end since he began hosting the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, in 2022. Along with dissecting the highs and lows of each week’s games throughout the NFL season, the siblings have revisited childhood memories, interviewed family members and fellow football stars and even started a love story. (Us will never forget where we were when Travis first spoke about wanting to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet at the Eras Tour in July 2023.)
Podcasting isn’t the only side project keeping Travis busy, however. As his star has continued to rise outside of the NFL universe, he’s nabbed roles on both the big and small screens — and has even launched his own music festival.
Though he’s expanded his career horizons, Chiefs fans don’t need to worry about Travis retiring just yet. In April 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $34.25 million, guaranteeing his spot on the roster until 2027 and becoming the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
“I can’t put a time frame on it,” he told reporters about retirement ahead of the 2024-2025 season. “I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know that there’s opportunities outside of football for me, and I think you have to keep in perspective that I’m still a little kid when I come into this building.”
Scroll down for a guide to all of Travis’ projects outside of the NFL:
‘New Heights’ Podcast
Us regularly tunes in to the Kelce brothers’ podcast for their hot takes on all things football and beyond (and for any subtle nods to Travis’ love life, of course). The show has won multiple awards since its 2022 launch, and news broke in August 2024 that the siblings landed a nine-figure deal with Amazon’s Wondery ahead of their third season.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of New Heights,” the cohosts noted in a statement. “We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to New Heights! We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership. We are thrilled to start Season 3 – see you soon, 92%ers!”
‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?’
News broke in March 2024 that Travis signed on to host a reboot of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? One month later, Us exclusively confirmed the title of the Amazon Prime competition series — Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? — with an insider sharing that Travis is a “perfect” fit for the gig. The series premieres October 16, 2024.
‘Grotesquerie’
Travis confirmed via Instagram in May 2024 that he was cast in a new Ryan Murphy FX horror series. “Steppin into a new world with one of the legends!” he captioned a clip of himself with costar Niecy Nash.
Further details about his role were kept under wraps, but fans got their first glimpse of Travis’ acting chops in an August 2024 teaser. Grotesquerie premieres on FX September 25, 2024.
‘Happy Gilmore’ Sequel
Travis hinted during a May 2024 episode of “New Heights” that he’d “do anything” for the chance to share the screen with Adam Sandler after rumors swirled that the athlete would appear in the sequel to Happy Gilmore. Three months later, Sandler confirmed Travis’ involvement.
“He’s a very nice guy. You guys would love him in real life. What a big, handsome guy,” Sandler said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2024. “Funny and cool as hell. He’s a stud and he’s so funny.”
1587 Prime Restaurant
The hospitality group Noble 33 announced in March 2024 that Travis was teaming up with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to open a steakhouse in Kansas City called 1587 Prime, in reference to their jersey numbers. Travis gushed over the “unbelievable opportunity” in an interview with People one month later.
“[It’s] just another thing that we want to bring to Kansas City, to be able to show our appreciation for the city, knowing how much they love their food and how much they love their football,” he said.
Garage Beer
In June 2024, Travis and his brother partnered with Garage Beer as new investors, owners and operators. The brand is based in Ohio, where the Kelces grew up.
“We love beer that tastes like beer,” Jason said on an episode of “New Heights” while announcing the new venture. “We like beer that doesn’t take itself too seriously. … It’s the workin’ man’s beer, take it from us.”
Kelce Jam
Travis launched his music festival in 2023, bringing pal Machine Gun Kelly and more major artists to headline the event in Kansas City. When the festival returned in the spring of 2024, the lineup included Diplo, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne.
“I do this for me. I have fun doing this,” Travis exclusively told Us at the festival in May 2024. “This is a part of me having fun for me. Yeah, I love just being around KC. The people here are unbelievable. And on top of that, man, I got all my friends and family and my business team with me gearing up for this, this just unbelievable evening.”
