Before he became one of the best players in NFL history, Travis Kelce tried his hand at telemarketing while at the University of Cincinnati — and he did not enjoy the experience
18:08 ET, 26 Mar 2026
Travis Kelce will reunite with Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs in 2026 following the quarterback's ACL injury
View 2 Images
Travis Kelce will reunite with Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs in 2026 following the quarterback's ACL injury(Image: Getty Images)
Before he became an NFL legend with the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce was a telemarketer selling Obamacare. He is definitely better at football than flogging products.
Kelce is one of the greatest tight ends in league history. He holds numerous records and is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, although the franchise struggled and missed the playoffs in 2025.
Article continues below
Despite his declining production in recent years, Kelce surprised fans by signing a three-year deal worth up to $54 million to stay with the AFC West franchise. The 36-year-old could still retire at the end of the 2026 season, but at least fans will get to see him link up with Patrick Mahomes one more time.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Tom Brady asked NFL about sensational comeback and got blunt responseREAD MORE: Mike Tomlin follows Bill Belichick's footsteps after leaving Pittsburgh Steelers
Thankfully, Kelce has enjoyed an illustrious career in the NFL. He truly didn’t enjoy his other insight into a professional career.
Three years before the Chiefs selected Kelce in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Kelce had been thrown off the Cincinnati football team for smoking marijuana. As a result, he took a telemarketing job that involved conducting phone surveys on Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act introduced by then-President Barack Obama.
Kelce was reminiscing about those days on his New Heights podcast with brother Jason. After inviting the cast of Workaholics onto the show — an American sitcom about three college friends who become telemarketers together — Jason told the trio: “Are you aware that there's another telemarketer with a past in this room?”
Jason then burst out laughing before actor Anders Holm turned to Kelce and asked, “You?”
“As fellow telemarketers, you know that you're reading an already pre-set [script],” Kelce outlined. “I was the worst telemarketer in the f---ing world. I was slinging surveys for Obamacare.”
Sign up to our NFL newsletter here
Travis Kelce talked about his past role on his 'New Heights' podcast
View 2 Images
Kelce talked about his past role on his New Heights podcast(Image: New Heights)
Kelce has spoken of his telemarketing career before. He told ESPN that customers would lambast him down the phone about the government stealing their money while he sat in a tiny cubicle for $8 an hour. His new Chiefs contract is a world away.
“All I had been doing is playing outside, playing sports my entire life,” the tight end said. “I had never sat down and tried to earn a living like that. That's not to hit on anybody's 9-to-5; that's just not for me.
Article continues below
“The light at the end of the tunnel was that if I do what I'm supposed to do instead of being a knucklehead, I can have a way better life than this.”
Kelce has proved there is fight left in his game as he enters his 14th NFL season. After averaging a career-low 8.5 yards per reception in 2024, Kelce finished 2025 with 11.2 yards per reception — his best mark in that category since 2022.
His production in 2025 suggests he can still contribute at a high level. He recorded 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns across 17 games and earned his 11th consecutive Pro Bowl nod.