NFL royalty — and soon-to-be Taylor Swift’s brother-in-law — drops into town for some poutine and…?

SportChek Polo Park employee Lean was walking down the stairs of the two-storey department store Sunday evening when he caught a glimpse of someone he was sure was legendary NFL player Jason Kelce.

At first, he didn’t believe his own eyes.

“I was like, ‘No way, no way,’” said Lean, who spoke to the Free Press Tuesday, asking his last name not be published. “And then you bring up a picture on your phone, you compare. Man, he is huge in real life. I look like a little kid next to him.”

Kelce — a Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowler who spent his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles — stands six-foot-three and weighed 295 pounds during his playing days. Ironically, when he was drafted in 2011, Kelce was considered undersized for an NFL centre.

The 38-year-old retired in 2024 as one of the most decorated offensive linemen in league history.

Kelce — whose younger brother Travis, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs who is currently engaged to pop megastar Taylor Swift — was in Winnipeg briefly over the weekend.

The reason for his visit remains unclear. Some say it’s being kept under wraps, while others have floated possibilities ranging from private commitments to a potential movie shoot.

One thing he wasn’t doing: visiting longtime friend and Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros. The team confirmed Tuesday that Collaros is not currently in town.

Zach and Jason — along with Travis — were college teammates at the University of Cincinnati and have remained close friends ever since.

The Kelce brothers host New Heights, one of the most listened-to sports podcasts in the world.

A Bombers spokesperson declined to say why Kelce was in the city, but said that Collaros gave Kelce some intel on where to go for food — The Forks, where he was also spotted on Sunday.

“We welcome everyone, even NFL stars,” said The Forks’ director of corporate communications Adam Dooley in an email. “This just goes to show how The Forks is a must-stop for anyone visiting Winnipeg. We hope he enjoyed his visit and would love to have him back on the patio in the summer or when the Nestaweya River Trail is open for a skate.”

“He was a great guy.”

Kelce and his friends were spotted eating Honey Dill Chicken Poutine from Zorba’s Greek + Italian. An employee at the popular restaurant confirmed Kelce ordered the quintessential Manitoba dish.

The Winnipeg Jets also extended an invitation to Kelce, who was wearing a Jets jersey he was trying on at Sport Chek in a photo with Lean.

A Jets staffer told the Free Press that while the invitation was extended, they believe Kelce couldn’t attend the game because he was leaving the city Tuesday before puck drop.

Lean said Kelce tried on several items while in the store, including an original Jets jersey and one from the team’s 2019 Heritage Classic. He also heard Kelce ultimately settled on a Team Canada hockey jersey before leaving.

“He was a great guy,” Lean said. “I was a little nervous, but he was very nice. I think he could tell I was a little nervous coming up to him.”

Lean said Kelce appeared to be with a few friends, one of whom offered to take the photo.

“They were some pretty big dudes, too,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they played as well.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca