Donna Kelce says NIL would have been 'nightmare' with sons Travis, Jason

NEW YORK — Jason and Travis Kelce used their NFL careers to build name recognition and create a strong brand that should set both of them up for plenty of success in their post-playing days.

Donna Kelce is happy with how things played out for her sons, but she is also glad they went through the college and professional ranks when they did.

While speaking with USA TODAY in partnership with the app GameChanger, Kelce was asked if she could imagine what it would have been like for her sons to be in college during the NIL era. Her response?

"That'd be a nightmare," Kelce said, with a laugh. "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it."

Kelce explained what she meant, highlighting the concerns she had about the lack of resources the young athletes have to help manage their money.

"If you think about it, a lot of children with a lot of money, that's just not a good thing," Kelce said. "And they don't have help. Usually in, in professional sports there's somebody there that can help you, like a financial planner or something. And I feel so bad because they have money that could probably last them, if invested properly, the rest of their lives."

Kelce wanted to make it clear that she is pro-NIL. She said the program is "a good idea" and that athletes deserve their share of revenue from college athletic departments.

"I'm not saying that they shouldn't be paid because colleges are making a lot of money on it," Kelce said. "I just think that in my own opinion, it could have been thought about a little bit more in their favor."

To Kelce's point, NIL has quickly blossomed into a billion dollar industry, but the NCAA has largely been unable to enforce universal regulations regarding it. That has created an ever-changing set of rules to which players have had to adapt all while learning how to manage, in some cases, life-changing amounts of money.

The Kelce brothers were both well into their NFL careers when NIL was first implemented in 2021. The duo have done well for themselves despite that.

Jason finished his 12-season career having earned $81.7 million from the Philadelphia Eagles, per Spotrac.com. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce has made just under $111.9 million across his 13 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs thus far and is set to make $12 million more in 2026.

Add in the popularity of the brothers' "New Heights" podcast, Jason's contract with ESPN, countless endorsement deals and Travis' pending wedding to Taylor Swift, the Kelces appear to be set for sustained success – both personally and financially – as their playing careers come to a close.

As for the matriarch of the Kelce family, Donna Kelce, like her sons, is also no stranger to endorsements. The mother and grandmother is teaming up with GameChanger, an app that streams youth sports for friends and family, to award one winner a "Gran Cave" (think "man cave" for grandparents livestreaming youth sports) and a premium subscription to the platform. GameChanger, which is owned and operated by Dick's Sporting Goods, says that the "Gran Cave" is "a modern take on the classic "man cave."