How Travis Kelce’s Business Managers Plan to Make Him as Famous as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

While it may seem as though Travis Kelce gained his fame overnight, a recent New York Times profile confirmed that it’s been years in the making. Kelce’s business managers, twin brothers Aaron and André Eanes, revealed to the outlet that they’ve been working hard to make Kelce “as famous as the Rock” since the mid-2010s. And it seems that their plan is working spectacularly.

After more than a decade playing in the NFL, Kelce seems primed to follow in Dwayne Johnson’s footsteps of moving from beloved sports figure to box office superstar. Recently, he signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which hopes to secure him more big-screen work.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end had a banner 2023, continuing his team’s multi-season hot streak with his second Super Bowl win; hosting his first episode of Saturday Night Live and appearing in seven commercials; co-hosting, with brother Jason Kelce, their New Heights podcast, one of the most successful on Spotify; launching a clothing line with the Chiefs; beginning a romance with pop star Taylor Swift; and posting the top-selling jersey in the NFL. But according to Aaron and André, it’s the culmination of years of hard work.

“People say to me, ‘Man, it’s been a crazy year,’” Aaron told NYT. “When I say, ‘Actually, it’s not that crazy,’ people look at me funny. It’s because it’s easy when you have a plan. We’re executing that plan.”

Kelce’s fortune changed significantly after the Chiefs won the 2023 Super Bowl. After years of failed reality dating shows and dutiful endorsements, in March he fulfilled a lifelong dream of hosting SNL. That performance put him on the radar of top Hollywood agents, including those at CAA.

“Decision makers and those folks that are meant to be visionary about who’s the next potential movie star, those folks had already tapped into Travis even coming out of Saturday Night Live,” Richard Lovett, CAA’s co-chairman, told NYT. “And probably before.”

Due to his relationship with Swift, Kelce is now adored by demographics far outside the NFL's typical reach. “The awareness of Travis is much larger and with an even broader audience,” Lovett said. “It’s accelerated that which was probably inevitable in terms of his level of awareness and appeal.”

For that reason, the Eanes brothers are slightly worried about oversaturation. While actively seeking a film or TV project for Kelce to star in between the end of this year's Super Bowl and training in July, they’re also looking for ways to reduce their client’s visibility. One method will be to significantly curtail Kelce’s commercial appearances in the New Year, focusing only on projects which complement their client’s personality.

Whatever 2024 brings, the Eanes brothers know they have their work cut out for them. “We positioned Travis to be world-famous,” André said. “We didn’t know how it would happen, or when it would happen, or what would help push that further along. But it’s always been the thought in the back of our minds.”