Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes helped lead the Kansas City Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl last season. But this time, they came up short, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Now entering his 13th NFL season, Kelce could be gearing up for his final year on the gridiron.
One NFL analyst even joked that Kelce might want to take some fitness tips from his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
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NFL Analyst Suggests Travis Kelce Take Fitness Tips From Taylor Swift
Kelce didn’t quite look like himself during the 2024-25 season. The 35-year-old recorded 97 receptions for 823 yards—his lowest regular-season yardage total since 2014.
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler joined Hannah Storm on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” to talk about Kelce’s down year and what might be ahead in 2025-26. The conversation began with Mahomes’ comments on his longtime teammate during the Chiefs’ OTA sessions.
“If it’s the last ride, you would never know,” Mahomes said. “The way he’s talking about football, the way he’s talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He doesn’t seem like a guy that it’s his last year, like he’s tired of the job.”
Storm then asked Fowler for his take on Kelce’s offseason and Mahomes’ remarks.
“Yeah, Travis Kelce is looking a little svelte this offseason,” Fowler said. “He has told people close to him he has lost about 25 pounds. He got after it this offseason. He showed up to training camp and, through the season, a little heavier than he had been in the past. It was kind of a thing throughout the year.”
Fowler also talked about Kelce’s outlook moving forward.
“People I’ve talked to didn’t expect it [the weight gain] to really affect his play all that much,” Fowler said. “They felt like he was still productive. But he’s in his mid-30s now, so this could be his last year. He’s in the final year of his contract in 2025. So, he wants to maximize his potential, and he’s changed things—he vowed to change it, and he did.”
Storm ended the segment with a lighthearted jab.
“Can I just say he’s got to keep up with his girlfriend who can do a three-and-a-half-hour concert without skipping a beat—and she does it on back-to-back nights,” she joked.
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Kelce’s struggles showed up on the biggest stage. He had just four catches for 39 yards in Super Bowl 59, including zero catches in the first half. His best performance of the playoffs came in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, where he posted 117 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 49-yard catch-and-run.
Still, Kelce’s résumé is already legendary. He’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in seven different seasons and remains one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. As he enters what could be his final season, he’ll be chasing one more title to put the perfect cap on an incredible career.