Travis Kelce showed up to Chiefs minicamp looking like a man who knows Father Time is eyeing his locker. Leaner, quicker, and just a little more twitchy than he was last season, Kelce didn’t have to say much—his body said it for him. After a 2024 season where he played slightly heavier and battled through some bumps, the 35-year-old came in trimmed down, reportedly shedding some weight to sharpen his burst and keep defenders guessing. It wasn’t a dramatic drop, more like a vet fine-tuning the machine.

But talk of Kelce losing as much as 25 pounds during the offseason set off a storm of speculation—and skepticism. At minicamp, Kelce quashed the drama: “Don’t believe all you read on the internet,” he told reporters, clarifying he was “down some weight” but never claimed a specific amount. In Florida this spring, he worked on “form running”, emphasizing stride efficiency and explosive cuts under the watchful eye of his trainers. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler confirmed Kelce “trained like crazy” and looked noticeably slimmer, but consistent with the veteran athlete he’s been for years.

Head coach Andy Reid didn’t make a big deal of it, but you could tell he noticed.  On June 19th, during the Chiefs’ presser, Reid was asked about how he sees the season playing out for Kelce in terms of playing time and if there’s any difference than normal.

Reid straight-up admitted that he’s not feeling any of that. “Yeah, I’m not really feeling that,” the head coach explained. “It would be similar to last year, I would imagine, as it goes. He’s (Kelce) in great shape right now, so I think he’s looking forward to getting going.” Reid’s confidence isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s backed by data. Kelce was on the field for over 84% of offensive snaps in 2024 (approximately 940 snaps over 16 games), ranking among the highest usage tight ends in football. Managing that is no small feat at 35.

However, when asked his thoughts on Kelce’s age, the head coach dropped a bombshell and made one thing certain: Travis Kelce is getting older. The tight end does not know it, but he’s indeed getting older. “Listen, I always watch him,” Reid added. “I always keep an eye on him. I know he’s getting older. He doesn’t know he’s getting older, but I do, so I can be the bad guy in some cases there if needed.” That “bad guy” role isn’t hypothetical. Reid has already started to slightly limit Kelce’s extra practice reps, a move teammates credit for sustaining his explosiveness during offseason drills. Reid’s intent: preserve Kelce’s freshness without sacrificing his role, especially with the season opener looming against the Chargers on September 5.

“But if I think it’s catching up to him a little bit, I’ll pull off and put him where he needs to be. Other than that, he hasn’t shown me any of that yet,” the head coach continued. However, it’s concerning for the Chiefs’ receiving corps and the Chiefs Kingdom that Kelce is getting older and nearing the end of his career. But the silver lining? He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet. Thanks to his offseason move to lose weight and his intense training sessions in Florida.

“He’s done really well with it,” Reid further continued. “I know he’s told you that, but you can tell he’s worked out. He normally comes in pretty good shape, so it’s not like he hasn’t been. You don’t survive as long as he hasn’t played the level he has. If you’re not in good shape, his weight, he’s one of those guys who could fluctuate with his weight. And he’s played it pretty successfully at a higher weight and successfully at a lower weight. So, right now, he’s a little bit lower than what he was last year.”

Kelce announced his return for the 13th season amidst retirement rumors swirling around him. Now that he’s all set to go for yet another ride with the Chiefs, we just have to wait to see if the 2025 season is going to be his last or if there are still a few surprises left.

Travis Kelce to address his future with the Chiefs

Travis Kelce signed a two-year, $34.25 million contract extension, becoming the highest-paid tight end in the NFL in 2024. With the 2024 season officially in the books, Kelce will return for the 2025 season. It will be his last of the two-year deal. But the way he’s training this offseason, it’s unlikely that this would be his last season.

To spice things up, the 35-year-old tight end laid it out without hesitation that he doesn’t want to play for any other team besides the Chiefs. The interesting part? Well, Kelce plans to talk about his future with the Chiefs. The veteran himself confirmed it on day two of the mandatory minicamp. As per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, “Chiefs TE Travis Kelce says he’s got one year left on his contract and that he’ll broach things with the team after the season: ‘I can’t envision myself playing anywhere else.”

Kelce had an underwhelming season last year. The TE recorded a career-low 97 receptions for 823 yards and a poor performance in Super Bowl LIX. After recording just four catches for 39 yards, the talk about his retirement started to gain traction. But Travis Kelce shrugged it off and is now set to return for…well, probably more than one season.