Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce will be entering his 12th NFL season at the age of 35 and is coming off a 2024 campaign where he finished with 823 yards receiving and three touchdowns, marking the lowest output of his career in both categories.
So, perhaps some kind of change was in order?
Given his age-Kelce will turn 36 the day before a Week 5 Sunday Night Football showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars-and the physical nature of playing tight end, some kind of change might have been in order anyway in the name of keeping up, regardless of the stats he put up last season.
Travis Kelce attends the Amazon 2025 Upfront at Beacon Theatre on May 12, 2025 in New York City. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
And that appears to be the case, as reports have circulated that Kelce, officially listed at 250 pounds, has dropped 25 pounds in the offseason.
That's a pretty significant drop in weight, and one that may have been necessary considering NFL insiders have indicated Kelce was playing "a little heavier" last season.
The #Chiefs will see a slimmer Travis Kelce at minicamp next week.
(@SportsCenter with @KevinNegandhi) pic.twitter.com/WFDrnkEGq7
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 14, 2025
"He [Kelce] will debut a bit of a slimmer look," ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler said. "He's told people close to him that he's lost about 25 pounds this offseason. Played a little heavier in 2024, it was sort of a thing. He vowed to change it, and he has."
"This could be the last dance here for him," Fowler continued. "Mid 30s, still a productive player, they want to go to him on third down but deciding a little bit, so he's trying to be slimmer and has gone hardcore this offseason to make it work in what could be his final season."
With Fowler mentioning that the 2025 season could very well be Kelce's final run with the Chiefs, it's completely understandable for the seven-time All-Pro to have placed a significant focus toward trimming down.
Remember, when he explained on his popular New Heights podcast to brother Jason Kelce as to why he chose not to retire, one of the major factors contributing to him coming back for at least one more go was due to how unhappy Kelce was with the level he was playing at, and feeling like he let his teammates down.
Related: Travis Kelce Admits Financial Pressure Challenged Retirement Decision
"I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them," Kelce said back in March. "I got a bad taste in my mouth on how I ended the year and how well I was playing."
Considering star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as a whole will likely be entering the 2025 season with a rather large chip on their shoulder following an ugly 40-22 Super Bowl blowout loss that was even worse than the final score indicates, a recharged and in-shape Kelce has got to be music to the ears of head coach Andy Reid and his staff.
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