Travis Kelce’s return to the Kansas City Chiefs camp after his wedding to Taylor Swift quickly became a social-media talking point. Sure, apart from his training gear, paps were quick to point out the brand-new, shining wedding ring on his finger. But others 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.”

Of course, Kelce had a few supporters. On the Outta Pocket podcast, Robert Griffin III blamed it all on “bad camera angle.” Even head coach Andy Reid stood in support of the 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.”  

Reid further claimed that Kelce stayed in shape throughout the offseason, crediting “a lot of dancing at his wedding.” Jason Kelce, Travis’ elder brother, also joked that if the latter indeed put on weight, Reid would never shy away from the truth.

This is not the first time Travis Kelce has had to deal with this narrative. Back in 2024, the tight end went to the Bahamas for a vacation with Swift. And he returned with pictures of his ‘dad bod’ circulating the internet. Even then, he 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. The coaching staff manages that fat during training camp, making the athletes ready for Week 1 battles.

However, the rumor about Kelce being overweight continued to spread, and some even generated AI videos, which showed his stomach as slightly bulging. However, those who attended camp and took videos of Kelce were quick to point out the fake videos, sharing their own footage as evidence. The tight end looked fit as usual in them.

Travis Kelce is entering what many presume might be his last season in the league. This will be his 14th year in the league, and he will turn 37 years old this season. Reid said on The Rich Eisen Show that Kelce did not want to call it a day after the Chiefs’ poor run last year. Now back on the field, the star tight end is ready to fire it up one more time.

“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.