“He’s already out of breath” - NFL fans react as Travis Kelce returns to action at Chiefs minicamp

Fans reacted as Travis Kelce made his return to the field on Tuesday for the Kansas City Chiefs, who commenced their mandatory minicamp after multiple weeks of OTAs.

Taylor Burr, reporter for Fox's Kansas City-area affiliate WDAF 4, provided video footage of the star tight end exercising:

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Reception to it, though, was mixed, with one tweeting:

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"He's already out of breath lmao"

"This is a 4th grade work out - dude is going to flop," another said.

"87 looks slim trim and ready to dominate," one praised.

"Killatrav is SO ready," another posted.

"Let's go TK," one cheered.

"Does he look slimmer like he said he would be?," another inquired.

During yesterday's episode of FS1's The Facility, former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho warned the Chiefs' opponents against dismissing Kelce despite his apparent decline:

“I think he's lost a step... but give me one more year to truly confirm whether he's no longer the great Travis Kelce. Let Travis Kelce confirm that he's lost a step, then you can no longer fear the Chiefs. This year I'm still going to fear him.”

Travis Kelce suffers colossal drop in insider's 2025 Top 100 list

Much has been said about the drastic statistical decline Travis Kelce experienced in 2024. Excluding his 2013 debut that saw a knee injury limit him to a single game with no stats, he had his worst season ever, covering only 823 yards and scoring just three touchdowns on 97 catches.

As a result, he took a massive 78-spot tumble from 18th to 96th in Pete Prisco's list of top 100 players for the 2025 season. The CBS analyst wrote:

"Age started to look like it was impacting Kelce's play last season as he didn't look to be the same player. There were moments, but the consistency wasn't there. He had 97 catches, but he averaged just 8.5 per catch, the lowest of his career, which is not a good sign for a 35-year-old."

Nevertheless, Kelce was one of five tight ends who made the cut. The highest-ranked is the Las Vegas Raiders' Brock Bowers, who set the franchise's single-season receptions record as a rookie despite playing with arguably the worst quarterback rotation of 2024 in Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder.

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

Know More

Chiefs Fans! Check out the latest Kansas City Chiefs Schedule and dive into the Chiefs Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Bhargav