Travis Kelce weighs in on Shedeur Sanders’ unforeseen draft slide -"Swag champ that works his a** off"

Three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce gave his take on Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL draft. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end discussed the draft with his older brother Jason Kelce on Wednesday's episode of the "New Heights" podcast.

Kelce, an Ohio native, said that he believes the Cleveland Browns' decision to draft Sanders in the fifth round was right. He said falling to pick No. 144 will cause Sanders to work even harder and prove everyone else wrong.

"I love this for Cleveland," Travis said. "God, I love this for Cleveland. I really do, The Browns fan deep down in my heart is just like, f**k yeah. You get a swag champ that works his a** off that has something to prove now. Not that he didn't before, but he's got that chip on his shoulder." (21:42)

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Shedeur Sanders was originally expected to be drafted in the first round. He fell to the fifth round when the Browns finally selected him. Sanders is now part of a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland, which includes Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow draft pick Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted in the third round.

Jason Kelce addressed Travis Kelce's drop in NFL draft after suspension

In the same episode, Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce spoke about the NFL draft and Shedeur Sanders' unexpected slide. It was then that Jason discussed Travis' slide in the draft, which was due to a failed drug test and possible character concerns.

“You probably got drafted an entire round later than you should have," Jason said. "I just think it's funny sometimes looking back and, like, there are all these concerns about Travis Kelce and everybody who knew you were a great kid. You just had, like, a mess up with weed. Sorry. And then all of a sudden, like, teams aren't picking you for it.”

Travis confirmed that falling to the third round in the 2013 draft was the right step in his NFL journey.

“Worked out perfect,” the Chiefs tight end said.

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Jason Kelce also pointed out that Kelce's issue, which was a failed drug test due to marijuana use, isn't seen as such a red flag in the NFL anymore. It all worked out for Travis as he ended up switching positions from quarterback to tight end when he returned from suspension.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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Edited by Ribin Peter