Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has lost roughly 25 pounds this offseason.
In a Wednesday news conference, Kelce — who was listed at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds during the 2024 season — confirmed he has lost weight, but not that much.
“First of all, I never said that,” Kelce said. “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
The TE didn’t specify how much weight he has shed but said “[He’s] feeling good, and [he thinks] it will pay off.”
In September, The Ringer’s Todd McShay told Ryen Russillo Kelce may have partied too much with his girlfriend, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, during the offseason and wasn’t in shape.
Kelce looked sluggish throughout the 2024 season, furthering McShay’s theory. In 16 regular-season games, the TE had 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdown catches, his fewest since his rookie season in 2013.
He also failed to step up in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 40-22 loss, he had just four receptions for 39 yards.
“Last year, I think I failed, especially in that last game, in being a leader and being the one that could step up and make plays,” Kelce said. “I’m just setting the bar even higher for myself this year than I had in the past.”
In his first 10 seasons with the Chiefs, Kelce earned four first-team All-Pro nods and finished with 1,000 receiving yards or more seven times. Although the weight loss signals he’s taking this offseason more seriously, he probably won’t replicate those results in 2025.
Kelce turns 36 on Oct. 5, and even elite TEs slow down in their late 30s. Pro Football Hall of Fame TE Antonio Gates never finished with more than 548 receiving yards after turning 36 in June 2016.
While Kelce may not reach his previous heights in 2025, an uptick from the TE would help the Chiefs. Last season, Kansas City ranked 14th in the league in passing yards (222.4) and 15th in points scored (22.6).
Kelce hasn’t been seen traveling with Swift as much this offseason, indicating he has been much more focused on his conditioning. That should help him be sharper, which should keep the Chiefs in the Super Bowl hunt in 2025.
