Travis Kelce, today considered one of the best tight ends in the league, didn’t have an easy start in the NFL world. In the 2013 NFL draft process, the TE was passed on by many teams before the Chiefs drafted him.
However, now those teams must be regretting their decision of not selecting the TE including the Dallas Cowboys who passed on him because of only one red flag.
Travis Kelce was passed by Cowboys over one “red flag”
As the 2024 NFL Combine is underway, Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce talked about their NFL Combine experiences on the New Heights podcast. Travis, on his podcast, shared that the Cowboys decided not to choose him because of one problem which was that he had skipped a year because of smoking weed.
During Travis Kelce’s time at the University of Cincinnati, he missed a year as he was suspended for testing positive for marijuana.
“At the combine, I had some bad interviews,” Kelce said. “The Cowboys, they were kind of pressing me about having this red flag of missing a year.”
Despite the TE then making a comeback and playing incredibly in 2012, the Cowboys were skeptical of him so Travis asked them to move on and they did that.
“It ended really fast,” Kelce said of his combine meeting with the Cowboys per CBS. “I basically just said, ‘If you guys think I’m gonna be that kind of guy, or you’re questioning if I’m still that person after everything that I’ve battled through to get to where I am now from missing a season, then you guys (should) probably go somewhere else and pick somebody else.’ And that’s exactly what they did.”
The team passed on him and instead drafted Gavin Escobar with the 47th overall pick. However, it didn’t stop Travis Kelce from entering the NFL world and becoming one of the best tight ends in the league.
Kelce vs Cowboys success since 2013
Since being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, Travis Kelce won three Super Bowls (LIV, LVII, and LVIII) with the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce, along with the QB Patrick Mahomes, makes one of the strongest quarterback-tight end duos in the league. They have been the most important part of the team and contributed majorly to the team’s success.
In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since 1995. Despite being one of the most popular NFL teams and winning multiple Super Bowl championships in the 90s, they have not been able to win any since 2013, while since then, Travis won three with the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce with the Chiefs had some of the most exceptional playoff successes. On the other hand, the Cowboys struggled in the playoffs. In recent seasons, despite having a strong offense and defense, they have suffered early playoff exits.
Travis Kelce’s success with the Chiefs, including back-to-back Super Bowl championships and individual achievements, contrasts with the Cowboys’ inability to win a Super Bowl since 1995 and their recent playoff disappointments.
Considering this big difference in the Kelce and Cowboys’ success since 2013, it is evident that the Cowboys must be regretting their decision of not signing Travis Kelce just because of one red flag.
