Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach started receiving text message after text message while on a family vacation in late June. He discovered that the NFL star Travis Kelce was on stage with pop superstar Taylor Swift in London’s Wembley Stadium, a surprising twist in his summer off-season. With more than 90,000 fans roaring in approval, Kelce harmonized perfectly with Swift during her transition from one song to “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” a popular hit from her recent album. This unexpected performance was to be the highlight of Kelce’s summer off-season, marking his intention to become a crossover star in the world of entertainment after he retires from football.
It was Kelce’s idea to perform with Swift, the pop superstar he’s been dating for more than a year. Describing it as a “jarring” but fun moment, he said he found the scale of the stage surprising. This performance was just one of many events Kelce packed into his off-season, alongside his roles in various part-time TV jobs, participation in Swift’s worldwide “Eras Tour,” appearances at several other events including his own game show, and journeys both within the U.S. and to Europe.
People within the Chiefs organization are recognizing Kelce as a perfect crossover athlete, following former football stars such as Michael Strahan, Carl Weathers and Dwayne Johnson. Chiefs coach Andy Reid believes that Kelce can handle a larger platform in the entertainment world. Nik Wright, host of “First Things First,” sees the budding prosperity of Kelce in another area: acting. He guest-starred in “Grotesquerie,” an FX horror and drama TV series, and hosted “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?”, a popular game show.
At the same time, Kelce disclosed in his podcast “New Heights” that he wants to become a color commentator for NFL games when he retires, following in the footsteps of former players like Tom Brady, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo. However, balancing a football career with TV and acting commitments makes Kelce nervous; he doesn’t want to get caught up in fame. Despite a busy off-season, he has never missed a practice and has shown impressive skills in training sessions, demonstrating his commitment to the sport. Kelce has remained the friendly and outgoing guy he has always been, using his strategic approach and unique brand of humor to lead the Chiefs towards their goals.
From the June mini-camp to the start of the Chiefs training camp, Kelce has been juggling his football practice with his lifestyle of exploring new fields beyond football. Training regularly with the personal trainers Alex Skacel, Andrew Spruill and Laurence Justin Ng, Kelce has been working on strategies to ensure his body is able to withstand the grueling regular NFL season, and to bounce back stronger after his injuries in the 2023 season. He practices harder, trying to make the most of practices without overworking himself, in order to enjoy another productive season on the field.
However, despite his multi-tasking, some things never change. Every summer, Kelce returns to Missouri Western State in St. Joseph to report to Chiefs training camp. No matter how grueling the practices might be, Kelce always enjoys it. He genuinely loves and respects the process of being great in football, glass in hand, joking around with the team and making everyone laugh. More an entertainer on and off the field than ever before, Kelce seems set to continue his crossover journey between sporting and entertainment fame while still keeping his football career at the top of his priorities.
