NFL Insider reveals Travis Kelce’s major weight loss ahead of Chiefs minicamp as star TE gears up for career’s "last dance"

Travis Kelce was among the notable absentees from the final week of the Kansas City Chiefs' OTAs. However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has promising news regarding him.

On Saturday's episode of SportsCenter, the insider revealed that the superstar tight end would be reporting for next week's mandatory minicamp around 25 pounds lighter:

"He's told people close to him that he's lost 25 pounds in the offseason," Fowler said. "He played a little heavier in 2024. It was sort of a thing; he vowed to change it, and he has. As we talked about before, this could be the last dance for him in his mid-30s, still a productive player."

2025 looks to be a pivotal season for Kelce, as he enters the final year of his contract. There were speculations about his retirement before he committed for the 2025 season.

One of his teammates, wide receiver Rashee Rice, admitted being "concerned" about the situation while hosting a football camp in Houston:

"Me getting hurt last year was kind of a wake-up call. I really wanted him to come back. You start to realize the guys you get to play with once it’s all over, so I’m just trying to live in the moment right now, accept that, and really enjoy his presence on the team."

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Chiefs predicted to bench Travis Kelce in 2025

Travis Kelce has suffered performance dips in his playing career, but none reflect his physical decline more sharply than the 2024 season. Excluding his 2013 debut that saw a knee injury limit him to one game and no starts, he put up career lows in yards (823) and touchdowns (three) last year.

There have been questions about his continued viability as a top-tier player, and The Sun US's David Scott believes that status will end during the 2025 season:

"If he regressed so much at 35 years old, what indication is there that he will be any better at 36 years old?"

He takes that notion further by predicting that Kelce will be benched for Noah Gray, who had career-highs in every relevant stat in 2024:

"Noah Gray is lurking behind Kelce on the depth chart, and has proven he can be a competent player in the Chiefs offense. He had 437 yards and five touchdowns in the 2024 season, and probably becomes the Chiefs' starting tight end by the end of 2025 if Kelce underperforms."

The Chiefs begin their season against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.