Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is set to spend more time on the silver screen.
During Tuesday’s episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Adam Sandler confirmed that Kelce will have a cameo in “Happy Gilmore 2.” Per J. Kim Murphy of Variety.com, Kelce is also in talks to be the leading man in the action-comedy “Loose Cannons.”
Accepting more acting roles shows Kelce — who turns 35 on Oct. 5 — is thinking about his second career.
“I love playing in the NFL,” Kelce said in June, via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. “This will always be my main focus. But outside of that, football ends for everybody, so [I’m] kind of dipping my toes in the water and seeing what [I] like in different areas and different career fields. I think this offseason you can get to try and explore that and set yourself up for [life] after football.”
It’s fair to wonder whether pursuing acting will affect Kelce’s play on the field. It can take months to film a movie and he may have to travel to set locations. Producers would presumably accommodate Kelce’s schedule, though. The star tight end and the Chiefs as a team have also proved they can handle the non-football spotlight.
Last season, Kelce started a high-profile romance with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the relationship didn’t seem to be a distraction. He finished the regular season with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdown catches in 15 games, earning his ninth Pro Bowl nod. The Chiefs then capped their 2023-24 season with a second straight Super Bowl win.
In 2024, the Chiefs aim to be the first team to win three consecutive titles during the Super Bowl era. Kelce has been setting the tone in training camp.
“It makes my job easier as a leader to push other guys because I can just say, ‘Look at the Hall of Famer who’s out here practicing harder than anybody,'” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said of Kelce, via Taylor.
Kelce will probably continue exploring other career opportunities, but he still seems to love football and is focused on helping the Chiefs win another Super Bowl.