RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had an eventful offseason away from the football field . His marriage to Taylor Swift did not appear to distract him from his task at hand in the NFL , though, as his coach shut down the idea that he is out of shape ahead of his 14th season.
Kelce's production as one of the league's premier tight ends has begun to wane in the latter stages of his career, but do not confuse the effects of Father Time with a lack of athletic discipline. While he is not the same game-changer that he was at his peak and last year recorded his fewest catches in a season since 2015, Kelce arrived at training camp about as fit as could be expected for a 36-year-old veteran.
"He came back in good shape," Reid said to CBS Sports . "Everybody thought he was going to come back with this 'dad bod' that I heard about. I'm going, 'This guy looks the same as he's always looked.' Everything is tight, man. He's out here. He's running. He's competing. Pat (Mahomes) trusts him like crazy. I love seeing it. 14 years in and still going strong."
Some of the concerns outside the Chiefs' facility around Kelce's fitness stemmed from AI videos that went viral around the start of camp. The videos portrayed Kelce with a large belly, which reporters in Kansas City debunked when he arrived in visibly good shape.
Because I saw the fake Travis Kelce beer gut AI practice video about 10 times this weekend … here is what Travis Kelce looks like at Chiefs camp this morning. pic.twitter.com/ft7n3rVtid
In fact, Kelce actively worked to lose weight in the final years of his career. After playing the 2024 campaign at a heavier weight than usual, Kelce cut 25 pounds last offseason and entered 2025 as a much slimmer version of himself. He cited changes to his workout routine and attempted to improve his agility and overall fitness. While he has not gone as in-depth on his spring and summer workouts this year, Reid's account of Kelce's physique paints a picture similar to last year's.
Not even the changes Kelce made to his training program last year could prevent his continued decline. The 50.1 receiving yards per game he tallied in 2025 were the fewest of his career, and he was unable to separate from defenders to the same extent as in the best years of his outstanding Chiefs tenure. The decline in physical ability with increased age puts a clear cap on Kelce's potential in 2026.
The years of 100 or more catches and double-digit touchdowns are behind Kelce. He is nowhere near as formidable a red zone target now compared to the three Super Bowl-winning seasons.
But as Kelce continues to do his part in reducing the effects of aging, he remains a key figure in Kansas City's always-potent offense. His career floor has always been upwards of 700 yards and at least a few touchdowns, and it is fair to expect him to remain among the most productive tight ends in the NFL in those regards. At the same time, though, he has clearly passed the torch to the next generation of stars at his position and is no longer the standard-bearer that made him a household name.
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