Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is part of an elite group of players who’ve spent their entire careers with a single franchise. Drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Kelce recently secured his spot in Kansas City through 2025 by signing a two-year, $34.25 million contract.
However, during a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis made a surprising comment about the only situation that might lead him to leave the Chiefs: playing for a team abroad.
Interest in Playing Internationally
When Jason asked, Would you play for a team in London?
, Travis Kelce didn’t hesitate: Yes … I’m waiting for that team … to play for another team other than the Chiefs. Like that’s the only situation if I get to play abroad.
Jason clarified, You mean your home team be abroad,
and Travis affirmed his point. The conversation sparked speculation after the clip went viral. Travis later took to X to clarify his feelings about leaving Kansas City: Let’s be honest, I’d never leave the Chiefs … but playing in London sounds fun.
The Idea of an International NFL Team
An international-based NFL team might seem like a distant dream, but the concept has its supporters. The Kelce brothers are among those advocating for London as a strong candidate for an international franchise.
If there’s an NFL team, the first city it’s coming to is London,
Jason stated confidently on the podcast. He pointed out that London has the highest concentration of NFL fans outside the U.S., making it a prime market. Jason added, There’s the most amount of fans here [outside the US], there’s the biggest appetite in London. It’s a major market.
The Appeal of NFL Games in London
The popularity of NFL games held at Wembley Stadium underscores this point. In seven years, nine out of eleven games sold over 83,000 tickets each, illustrating the robust fan base in London.
The challenges an American football team might face in England are not trivial. As seen during global events like FIFA’s 2006 World Cup watched by an estimated 715.1 million people worldwide, soccer dominates internationally.Skepticism remains whether soccer fans would be willing to embrace American football as fervently.
An international NFL franchise indeed remains speculative until concrete actions are taken beyond discussions on podcasts.
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