Travis Kelce is a man on a mission. It’s not just about a losing season or another Super Bowl. He’s battling Father Time as one of the oldest players to ever play for the Kansas City Chiefs! But even after returning to the team at nearly 37 years old for his fourteenth season, the tight end found himself getting shamed online. 

It wasn’t about his stats from last season or his performance. The shaming was around his physique. But as he’s done before, Travis Kelce took it on the chin and responded. 

It goes back to Kelce’s return to the Kansas City Chiefs camp after his wedding to Taylor Swift. Some thought Kelce had put on some weight, sparking a short-lived theory on the tight end developing a ‘dad bod.’ Ahead of the season, Kelce reflected on those rumors.

“That s— was so f—ing funny, reading some of these comments on that clip going viral and then, obviously, the fat-shaming and saying that I got a dad body,” Travis said on the New Heights Podcast as he addressed the viral photographs. “It’s all social media just having fun. And I even laugh at this s—. I mean, it’s f—ing pure comedy.”

“There have been other years where I’ve came in way fatter than I am this year, for sure. We’re doing good so far.”

Now, this isn’t the first time Kelce has had to deal with fat shaming. Back in 2024, when the tight end went on a Bahamas vacation with Swift after winning the Super Bowl, he found himself in a similar situation. When pictures of the couple made it to the internet, there were similar ‘dad bod’ comments. Even then, Kelce took it as a joke. 

“We’re in the same weight class now,” Kelce told his brother on a two-year-old episode of New Heights, after Jason confirmed that he was 283 pounds. “It’s March! We’re in the same weight class right now.

“It’s March!” he added, as a retort to the trolls’ complaints.

Offseason physiques often look different for professional football players across the board. After all, it’s time for them to rest their battered joints, go on vacations, and indulge in a guilt-free routine away from the gridiron. But even then, it’s not kept the biggest stars of the sport from being shamed online. Kelce’s teammate, Patrick Mahomes, had found himself in a similar situation last year, right after the Chiefs had lost the Super Bowl to the Eagles.

What they don’t realise is that when these players return to their teams before the season, there is a plan in place. The coaching staff manages their build during training camp, making the athletes ready for Week 1 battles.

That’s why when head coach Andy Reid heard about Kelce getting called out, he backed up his tight end. 

“Well, he came back in good shape,” Reid told the NFL Network. “I know everybody’s out there saying he’s got the dad body and all this stuff. But he looks the same to me that he’s always looked. And he’s playing like crazy. So he’s doing a nice job with everything. He’s focused in and ready to go.”  

For Andy Reid, the more important aspect of Kelce’s return was his experience. As the most experienced player on this Chiefs squad, Travis Kelce has a massive role to play.

“He’s a great leader, and he works hard. He wants to be in there, and for a young guy to look at that, it’s hard for them to make an excuse to take a rep off. Because he’s out there going. And if they try to get sneaky, he yanks them back in there. So, he makes them go. That’s always a good thing to have.”

And while Kelce may take the body shaming as a joke, his interview with Vogue was plenty to silence critiques about his appearance. 

The more serious problem for him will be to keep up the intensity throughout the entire season. The training camp saw him take hard hits, even going to ground on one occasion and struggling to get back up. Combined with sickness ahead of the regular season, Kelce staying fit might be a concern. But the tight end is having none of it. 

“Every year there’s a chance to do something special – but especially coming into this year, getting Pat [Mahomes] back and wiping the slate clean,” he told Vogue. “I love coming to the building every day. I know how special this team is, so I’m excited to get this thing rolling and for the chance to give the fans what they deserve.”

Nevertheless, the Chiefs tight end has already lost some weight and will be ready to face the Denver Broncos on September 14, 2026.