Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on the final day of mandatory minicamp on June 19, and he was asked if he expects superstar tight end Travis Kelce to play a lower percentage of snaps throughout his age-36 campaign.
“Yeah, I’m not really feeling that,” Reid responded, shutting down a popular Kelce narrative that dominated headlines last season.
“[It will be] more similar to last year, I would imagine,” the Chiefs HC continued. Adding that Kelce is “in great shape right now” and is “looking forward to getting going.”
After a follow-up question that pointed out Kelce’s age and potential need for “concessions,” Reid said the following:
“Listen, I always watch him… 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.”
“If I think it’s catching up to him a little bit, I’ll pull off and put him where he needs to be,” Reid acknowledged after his initial answer, concluding: “But other than that, he hasn’t shown me any of that yet. He’s done really well with [everything].”
Andy Reid Dismisses the Idea That Travis Kelce Was Not in Good Shape Last Summer During Chiefs Camp
As the Travis Kelce conversation continued, another reporter asked a question that hinted the future Hall of Famer might be in better shape than last summer. But Reid didn’t bite.
“I know he’s told you that [he lost weight], but you can tell he’s worked out,” the Chiefs head coach replied. “[Kelce] normally comes in [here] in pretty good shape. So, it’s not like he hasn’t been.”
“You don’t survive as long as he has and play at the level he has if you’re not in good shape,” Reid went on. Noting: “He’s one of those guys, he can fluctuate with his weight. He’s played very successfully at a higher weight and [he’s been] successful at a lower weight. So, right now, he’s a little bit lower than what he was last year.”
There was an offseason rumor going around that Kelce lost a whopping 25 pounds this offseason! ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler even reported said rumor just ahead of minicamp, but Kelce disproved it as false when he spoke on June 18.
“First of all, I never said that,” Kelce told reporters with a smile. Adding: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
The veteran playmaker eventually confirmed that he has shed some weight this offseason, just not 25 pounds’ worth of weight.
While speaking on Wednesday, Kelce and his partner in crime, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, both appeared as motivated as ever to make up for their Super Bowl performances.
Kelce’s 2024 Snap Percentage Was His Highest Since 2020
According to Pro Football Reference, it’s statistically untrue that Kelce played fewer snaps in 2024.
In fact, Kelce’s 2024 snap percentage on offense was his highest since 2020, at 84%. The legendary tight end was on the field for 86% of offensive snaps in 2020, but that number regressed to 82%, 80% and 77% in each of the following seasons, leading up to 2024.
It’s very possible that Kelce’s 90% snap share days are gone, but he only achieved that sort of playing time in four seasons out of 12. Those prime years were 2015, and then again from 2017 through 2019.
Barring injury, Kelce is set up to log at least 80% of snaps or higher again in 2025.
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