Travis Kelce’s gruelling summer is already paying off on the football field, his Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has said.

Kelce, 35, nearly retired after the Chiefs were destroyed by the Philadelphia Eagles in February’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.

The emphatic 40-22 scoreline actually flattered the Chiefs and Kelce’s struggles to get open encapsualted a season where he failed to find his best form. He finished the game with four catches for 39 yards.

But after deciding to play on, Kelce regrouped and spend summer getting into the best shape of his life. He worked with a personal trainer in Boca Raton, Florida and even cut out Taylor Swift’s pop tarts to shed some extra pounds.

After reporting back to Chiefs camp at St. Joe’s for the upcoming 2025 season, coach Reid couldn’t be happier with the condition of his star tight end.

‘He’s svelte right now,’ Reid beamed. ‘He looks like he’s 20. He’s doing a good job. He’s in great shape.

‘I’m not sure he didn’t come in first during the whole conditioning thing, he was right up front. You can see he’s been working out.

‘You saw him yesterday on the long run where he had the burst. He’s done a nice job. He’s worked hard to get to this spot.’

It comes as Kelce went ‘Instagram official’ with Swift, 35, with an array of pictures of the high-profile couple that hadn’t been seen before.

They included pictures of Kelce spending time with Swift’s brother, Austin, while Swifties also spotted that Kelce’s phone background is a picture of him and the singer.

Speaking last month, Kelce dismissed rumors that he had shedded 25 pounds but admitted he had been training hard in the offseason.

He said: ‘Each year is different man, you gotta rebuild it. This year, I got some time to really focus on some things in the offseason that I just didn’t have time for last year. I’m certainly feeling good and I think it will pay off, man.’

Last season, Kelce recorded a career-low 823 yards and 97 receptions. But he still entered the history books when his Christmas Day touchdown against the Pittsbugh Steelers saw him overtake Tony Gonzalez as the highest touchdown scorer in franchise history with a tally of 77.

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

In Week 2, it’s a Super Bowl rematch as the Chiefs host the Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium before heading to New York in Week 3 to take on the Giants.

This season is also the last on Kelce’s current contract with the Chiefs, meaning he will have a decision to make about his future in the game after this year.

His teammate, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, said in May that Kelce is clearly determined as ever for success.

‘If it’s the last ride, you would never know,’ Mahomes said. ‘The way he’s talking about football, the way he’s talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year.

‘He doesn’t seem like a guy like it’s his last ride, like he’s tired of the job.’