Considered one of the greatest tight ends in history,[12][13] Kelce is a ten-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro, with four first-team and three second-team selections.

[17] Kelce's relationship with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has drawn massive media coverage and stimulated viewership and revenue for his team and its league.

Kelce earned first-team all-conference honors[29] and in March 2013, was named the College Football Performance Awards Tight End of the Year.

[30] Kelce graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree,[31] he received his diploma during an April 2024 podcast event at the Fifth Third Arena with his brother Jason.

After being limited the first two weeks of the season due to the injury and being inactive the next three games, Kelce was placed on injured reserve on October 12, 2013, after having a microfracture surgery performed on his knee.

[59] The second resulted from him sarcastically throwing his towel at field judge Mike Weatherford in a flagging motion due to being upset about the first penalty.

[80] The 10–6 Chiefs[81] entered the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Tennessee Titans, where Kelce finished with four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in the 21–22 defeat.

[96] Despite injuries to Patrick Mahomes and just two touchdowns, at the midpoint of the season Kelce led all tight ends and Chiefs players in receiving yards with 604.

[109] Following the release of long-time Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt in the offseason, Kelce became tied with Anthony Sherman and fellow 2013 draftee Eric Fisher as the team's longest tenured members.

[112] In Week 8 against the Jets, Kelce dunked the ball through the goal posts after scoring a touchdown, paying homage to former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.

[114] In Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football, Kelce recorded eight catches for 127 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in a 35–31 win.

[123] In the Super Bowl, he caught 10 passes for 133 yards—a record for receiving yards by a tight end in the championship game—but the Chiefs did not score a touchdown in the 31–9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[136] Kelce was wearing an NFL Films microphone for the game, and audio footage from the two offensive plays of the 13-second drive revealed that Kelce instructed Tyreek Hill to run the route which led to the success of the first completion, and revealed him suggesting to Mahomes that he might improvise his own route on the second offensive play if the Bills' defensive scheme didn't change.

[154] He elected to not play in the Chiefs' Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, ending his NFL-record streak of seven consecutive seasons to finish with 1,000 receiving yards.

[166] On Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kelce achieved his 1,000th career reception and became the Chiefs’ leader in receiving touchdowns, surpassing the previous record set by Tony Gonzalez of 77.

[189] In 2015, Kelce created a foundation called Eighty-Seven & Running in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, with the goal of "empowering underprivileged youth".

[197] In 2019, he hosted a meet and dance event to raise funds for the "Rose Brooks Center", a Kansas City-based organization that provides shelter to women, children, and their pets in situations of domestic violence.

In 2017, he became one of the highest-profile white NFL players to kneel during the national anthem in protest against police brutality, racism, and social inequalities in America.

[204][205] After the shooting of Jacob Blake by police officer Rusten Sheskey, Kelce, along with teammate Patrick Mahomes, spoke publicly in support of social justice.

[215] Kelce hosted Saturday Night Live on March 4, 2023,[216] and appeared in a sketch with his brother Jason and SNL cast members Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman.

[221] In 2023, Kelce became an executive producer of the war comedy-drama film My Dead Friend Zoe (2024) and of the documentary King Pleasure about the life of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

[222] Kelce was cast in his first major acting role in Ryan Murphy's FX horror series Grotesquerie where he will star opposite Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, and Lesley Manville.

[232] The first edition of the event, held in Bonner Springs, Kansas during the 2023 NFL draft weekend, featured artists including Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, Loud Luxury and Tech N9ne.

[237] In February 2023, the podcast experienced a rise in popularity when Travis and Jason faced off in Super Bowl LVII,[238] it marked the first time two brothers played against each other.

[242] Kelce has appeared in print, television and online advertisements for brands such as Dick's Sporting Goods, LG, McDonald's, Nike, Papa John's, Bud Light, Old Spice, Walgreens,[243] Pfizer,[244] State Farm,[245] DirectTV,[246] Experian,[247] Lowe's,[248] and Campbell's Soup[249] among others.

[250] In 2023, Business Insider estimated that Kelce makes $5 million a year in off-the-field earnings and stated that "he was one of football's most successful endorsers.

[258] Kelce is also an angel investor in several companies, including the tequila brand Casa Azul,[259] the whole-grain pancake and waffle mixes Kodiak Cakes,[260] and the made-to-measure menswear retailer Indochino.

[261] In 2023, Kelce joined a group of investors, including actor Ryan Reynolds and teammate Mahomes, to buy a stake in Alpine, a UK-based French Formula One team.

[281][282][283][284] One widely cited estimate by a sports marketing company said the Kelce–Swift relationship had so stimulated ticket sales, viewership, and merchandising that the Chiefs franchise had gained $331.4 million in value in six months.

[285] In June 2024, Kelce joined Swift onstage at her Eras Tour concert in Wembley Stadium, dancing in a top hat and tails during her performance of "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart".