Why Do Most Tight Ends, Including Travis Kelce, Wear Jersey Numbers That Are 80s?

Ever since Travis Kelce started dating Taylor Swift, the NFL star’s jersey sales have soared by a whopping 400%. It also didn’t come as a surprise when the No. 87 jersey sales started rising once again in the last few weeks thanks to the Chiefs securing a berth in the Super Bowl LVIII. The high sales all around made a lot of fans realize that most Tight Ends sport jersey numbers in the 80s. From Rob Gronkowski [87] to George Kittle [85], these tight ends pick bigger two-digit numbers for a reason — and it’s something to do with the NFL guidelines.

As per the NFL guidelines, jersey numbers are reserved for specific positions in American Football. For example, the range for Quarterbacks is from 1 to 19. Similarly, the NFL’s restricted range for Tight Ends is from 1 to 49 and 80 to 89. While there seem to be a lot of options for numbers, this wasn’t the case before.

It’s only recently that the NFL made 40-49 available for the Tight Ends. The question now is, why do most of them pick from 80 to 89, although there is a relatively large spectrum of numbers to choose from? Long answer short, it’s due to the NCAA advisory. The NCAA strongly urges ends to choose from 80 to 89. While the range from 1 to 49 isn’t forbidden, there’s a significant likelihood of it overlapping with other positions. Are these the only benefits of picking from 80 to 89? Certainly not!

What Are the Benefits of Ends Like Travis Kelce Picking Numbers From 80 to 89?

Jersey numbers are iconic elements of a player’s career and have proven to be essential in brand-building across sports. Be it CR7, SC30, or TB12; having a distinct jersey number complemented by exceptional talent has proven to be an effective strategy for commercial growth. Being a Tight End is possibly one of the most unforgiving positions in American Football. The offensive position requires a player to be adept at the roles of an offensive lineman and a receiver.

When the game doesn’t recognize you enough for your plaudits, having a jersey number the same as a QB should be the last thing to do for a TE. Iconic Tight Ends like Travis Kelce [87], Rob Gronkowski [87], Owen Daniels [81], and George Kittle [85] understood this assignment well and hence have brands built around them.

Jersey number explanations in football
Low digits-You’re some serious shit (QB, eg)
50s-Center/Nose Tackle
60s-Offensive/Defensive Guard
70s-Offensive/Defensive Tackle
80s-Some kind of tight end and/or kicker
20s, 30s, 40s-Maybe an end or defense guy?
90s-You’re dead to the coach

— MDub, Pete’s humanⓂ️ (@emmdub559) January 2, 2024

Imagine if Travis Kelce or Owen Daniels picked the same number from the QB range [1-19]. Would they have been able to compete the same way against QBs who are systematically backed by the audience and media as superstars? Truly a fascinating discourse.