Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce isn’t holding back about one horrifying experience that literally set his body on fire.
The tight end, who’s gearing up for his 13th NFL season, revealed on his New Heights podcast that the infamous One Chip Challenge messed him up badly, like, three-days-of-misery level bad. Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce were joined by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal on the latest episode, and the conversation took a spicy turn when they started comparing their attempts at the challenge. Spoiler alert: it did not go well for either of them.
Travis Kelce straight-up called the One Chip Challenge “the worst experience ever,” saying it left him wrecked for days. “That f*ing, that was the craziest experience I have ever been through,” he said, not even sugarcoating it a bit. “That ruined me for three days straight. I was s**ing out fire. It was ridiculous.” And if you’ve never heard of it, the One Chip Challenge involves eating a single tortilla chip made with Carolina Reaper, the world’s hottest chili pepper, and then resisting the urge to drink anything for as long as possible.
Kelce attempted the challenge back in 2018, and clearly, the trauma lives rent-free in his mind. He even rocked a headband during the challenge just to soak up the sweat. That’s how intense it got. Meanwhile, Shaq shared his own horror story from doing it live on TNT’s Inside the NBA in 2017. “I drank water before eating the chip and the water activated it,” O’Neal recalled. “My throat started closing.” His reaction went viral and is still floating around online as a meme, showing him chugging water and sweating bullets on live TV.
While the challenge was just a passing conversation, it highlighted how even top-tier athletes like Kelce can be brought to their knees by a fiery snack. But the NFL superstar won’t be sweating over spicy chips much longer, his attention is now back on football. After a rough 2024 season where he posted career lows in catches and yards, Kelce is ready to redeem himself in 2025. He recently showed up at the Chiefs facility for OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and is focused on helping Kansas City bounce back after their gut-wrenching Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
Despite being a 10-time Pro Bowler, Kelce knows the pressure is on this season. The 35-year-old tight end has been a cornerstone of the Chiefs’ success, and he’ll be hoping to hit the field with the same fire, minus the Carolina Reaper kind. With the 2025 NFL season kickoff scheduled for September 4 and the Chiefs facing a tough lineup including a potential rematch with the Eagles, all eyes will be on how Kelce performs. The season ends on January 4, 2026, with Super Bowl LX set for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
In the meantime, Kelce’s brutally honest confession about the One Chip Challenge is a hilarious, humanizing reminder that even NFL legends can get knocked out by a snack. If you ever thought about trying the challenge, maybe take a tip from Travis and… just don’t.
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