The NFL Didn't Always Think Travis Kelce Was a 'Tremendous Athlete'
Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs
Today, Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason, are household names throughout the country and beyond, but it turns out that the NFL didn't necessarily anticipate their success.
Parade dug up some of the first observations the National Football League ever made about the brothers, when they were still just prospects in their respective draft years, and the two have each blown some of their commentary out of the water over the course of their illustrious careers.
While the league acknowledged that Travis did "a lot of things very well" prior to being drafted, they wrote that he wasn't "a tremendous athlete," doubling down when addressing his weaknesses when they wrote he's "not a tremendously explosive athlete."
To be fair, they still believed he'd be "highly sought after" due to his strengths, and the tight end went on to prove his worth as he broke record after record throughout his 11-year career (so far), becoming one-half of the top duo for most postseason touchdowns by a QB-receiver duo with Patrick Mahomes, and breaking the record for playoff receptions in January alone. In November, he also became the all-time leading receiver in Chiefs franchise history.
Meanwhile, Jason's prospect bio said "he has the mobility and mentality to make it as a reserve center in the NFL. However, does not have the size or power to project as a starter." They projected he'd be a "late-rounder or rookie free agent," but the beloved center, of course, spent the entirety of his 13-year career with the Eagles as a starter.
In fact, he reportedly became the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 games that year, and in 2023, Kelce set the franchise record for the longest starting streak in Eagles history at 145 consecutive games, and was the first runner-up in the active league at the time behind Atlanta's Jake Matthews (148).
And, where the league suggested he didn't "possess...much growth potential," Jason grew to become not only, perhaps, the most well-known and celebrated center in the league's history, but one of the most beloved public figures—even among rival fans and folks who've never watched a game of football in their lives.
As Taylor Swift once sang, "That's a real...legacy."
