Travis Kelce has been rubbing elbows with A-listers while dating Taylor Swift, but his inner circle of childhood friends keeps him grounded.
Kelce got his NFL start in 2013 after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, and his longtime pals have been some of his biggest supporters along the way. Throughout the 2023-2024 season, the Kelce suite gained even more attention when his friends and family were spotted mingling with Swift.
On the field, Kelce’s teammates have his back with every play. He’s bonded with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was quick to comment on how Kelce was affected by his newfound stardom amid his romance with Swift.
“Travis has always been Travis,” Mahomes insisted to reporters in January 2024. “He’s still Travis Kelce. He still will walk through the stadium and treat every single person like they’re his best friend. And he’s going to be like that in the locker room every single day.”
Keep scrolling for a glimpse inside Travis’ inner circle, including his brother, Jason Kelce, and more:
Aric Jones
The pair were childhood friends before they became roommates in their 20s. Jones has since become a staple at Travis’ NFL games, even sitting with Swift at several Chiefs games throughout the 2023-2024 season.
Jason and Kylie Kelce
Travis’ bond with his brother and sister-in-law has been well-documented via their “New Heights” podcast, which the siblings cohost. Kylie has been featured on multiple episodes, whether through interviews or brief cameos, and the trio have spoken candidly about their close connection.
“He’s a special person and his personality, the way he carries himself, he’s fun to be around, he’s smart … and he’s just a good-intentioned human being,” Jason gushed during a 2023 NFL on NBC interview. “I wish, in a lot of ways, I was more similar to Trav.”
Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Prime Video
Patrick Regan
Known as “Patty Cuts,” Regan is Travis’ barber. “Call it a Tradition Now. 3 Years and Counting sending @killatrav to Training Camp with the Andy Reid Stache 👨🏻,” he teased via Instagram in August 2023 after giving Travis a fresh look.
Patrick and Brittany Mahomes
The quarterback and the tight end are close on and off the field, and so are their families. When Travis began dating Swift in 2023, she was spotted on several nights out with Brittany in NYC and beyond.
“His family and my family have almost become one family because of the relationship that we have and how we’ve kind of became these brothers on the football field,” Patrick gushed to ESPN that year.
Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Kumar Ferguson
Travis and Ferguson grew up together, but their friendship became even stronger in 2016 when Ferguson became his private chef. “It’s fun, but I do take it seriously. … We all support each other. We’re all pushing each other,” Ferguson told Startland News in 2023. “It’s a high-intensity environment, but the support from everybody just makes it really cool and worthwhile.”
Patrick Bacon
The pair’s bond dates back to the first grade. “He loves to talk about the old days,” Bacon teased to WSJ. Magazine in a 2023 profile of Travis, who likes to spend his downtime unwinding with his “core group” of friends.
NFL players Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce made history in 2023 when they became the first brothers to face off against each other at the Super Bowl. When Jason, who is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis, who is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, cross paths on the football field, […]
Ross Travis
Before becoming a free agent, Ross Travis was on the Chiefs from 2015 to 2017. The longtime pals got the meme treatment when they were spotted wearing coordinating outfits at a February 2024 Eras Tour concert in Australia.
Ross Travis Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Harry Clark
Clark and Travis both have roots in Ohio, which is presumably how their friendship began. In March 2024, Clark accompanied his pal to Singapore for one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows.
Machine Gun Kelly
“We actually grew up right down the street from each other,” Travis said while introducing Kelly at the 2023 Kelce Jam in Kansas. “I knew of [him] growing up. But for the most part, I’ve just been a big, big fan of his through high school, through college. Being able to see his success has been really cool knowing that we’re from the same area.”
Kelly even crashed a 2023 episode of “New Heights” begging Travis to “come on home” and play for the Cleveland Browns.