The 49ers passed on Travis Kelce amid rumors he was a ‘train wreck character-wise’

A year-long suspension and injuries may have turned the San Francisco 49ers away from one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history: their Super Bowl opponent Travis Kelce.

NFL Draft, the 49ers were seeking replacements for outgoing tight end Delanie Walker and longtime star Vernon Davis, who was nearing the end of his career in San Francisco. Among their top options was a controversial Cincinnati Bearcats player named Travis Kelce. His NFL draft profile called him “athletic for his size, with great strength, and the ability to stretch the field vertically.”

“He isn’t a tremendous athlete, but he does a lot of things very well,” the profile noted. Then, under the “weaknesses” category, it listed this ominous phrase: “suspended for an entire season for violating team rules.”

positive marijuana test. “A one-time thing,” he said. “I haven’t touched it since.” He also called himself a “clean-cut guy” who was “going to give the organization everything I can.”

A season-long suspension for a little weed now seems incredibly archaic, and the episode certainly had no bearing on Kelce’s professional career. He is only the fifth tight end in NFL history to record 10,000 career receiving yards, and he recently overtook Jerry Rice for most career playoff receptions. He’s won the Super Bowl twice.

McDonald played four seasons for San Francisco, never recording more than four touchdowns in a single season. In 2017, the Niners traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He retired in 2021 after eight seasons in the NFL.