Some athletes chase highlight reels and perfect form. Travis Kelce chases punchlines. Fresh off another gritty Chiefs performance, he found himself laughing at his own body before anyone else even got the chance at all.
It happened during one particular candid moment on his podcast, when the veteran tight end broke down his own game tape and simply couldn’t resist poking fun at how he actually looked on his screen.
A rough landing after a big play
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Indianapolis Colts 33-30 in overtime on Sunday Night Football on September 20, 2026, improving to 2-0 to start the season.
Travis Kelce caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter. The score came shortly after Kristian Fulton intercepted Colts quarterback Daniel Jones deep in Indianapolis territory.
Xavier Worthy’s block helped clear Kelce’s path during the touchdown play. Kelce’s hesitant-looking final steps into the end zone later became a source of jokes when he and his brother Jason reviewed the play on New Heights.
Breaking down the touchdown on camera
Travis and Jason Kelce regularly revisit NFL plays on their weekly New Heights podcast, mixing football analysis with the brotherly teasing that has become a signature part of the show.
While discussing the Colts game, Travis explained that Patrick Mahomes got the ball out quickly and that Xavier Worthy did a good job getting a block on the defender near the goal line.
Kelce then poked fun at his own finish, saying, “I just look like a fat old guy trying to get me a zone,” as he reviewed his awkward-looking path into the end zone.
Jason Kelce jumps in with jabs
Jason Kelce, a former Philadelphia Eagles center and Super Bowl champion, immediately brought up the replay on the show, noting the sequence looked very hesitant and somehow strangely indecisive right near the goal line, honestly.
Their brotherly banter has become a signature of New Heights, with Jason often teasing Travis about his athleticism, weight, or age, creating comedic tension fans have grown to love season after season for years now.
Jason retired from professional football after the 2023 season and now works in broadcasting, which only adds more credibility whenever he critiques his younger brother’s on-field performance in front of the public.
A stat line that silences doubters
Despite joking about his footwork, Kelce finished with 9 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was his 37th 100-yard receiving performance since 2016, the third most among all NFL players over that span.
Patrick Mahomes also had a big night, completing 32 of 47 passes for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns as Kansas City’s offense produced 33 points in the overtime victory.
At 36 and in his 14th NFL season, Kelce remains highly productive. Through Kansas City’s first 2 games of 2026, he has 12 receptions for 172 yards and 1 touchdown.
The offseason body transformation story
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in June 2025 that people close to Kelce said he had lost about 25 pounds that offseason. Kelce later disputed the exact figure, saying he was down some weight but had never told anyone he had lost 25 pounds.
The change followed a 2024 season in which Kelce finished with 97 catches for 823 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 823 receiving yards were his lowest total since 2014, excluding his injury-shortened rookie season.
Kelce then had 4 catches for 39 yards in Kansas City’s 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX. He returned for the 2025 season and finished with 76 catches for 851 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Retirement questions have followed Kelce
In June 2024, months after winning Super Bowl LVIII, Kelce reiterated that he planned to keep playing “until the wheels fall off.” He also acknowledged that he was closer to the end of his playing career than the beginning.
Retirement speculation intensified after later seasons, particularly following Super Bowl LIX and again after the 2025 campaign. Kelce ultimately chose to continue playing and returned to Kansas City for the 2026 season.
The three-time Super Bowl champion agreed to return for his 14th NFL season in 2026. At 36, he remains an active part of Kansas City’s offense rather than stepping away from football.
Why fans love this self-deprecating streak
Self-deprecating humor has become part of Kelce’s public persona, and New Heights regularly mixes NFL discussion with the brothers teasing one another about their lives and careers.
The podcast remains a major sports show and releases new episodes weekly. It has also reached audiences far beyond traditional football coverage through celebrity guests and pop-culture discussions.
The show’s crossover appeal became especially clear when Taylor Swift appeared in August 2025. Her New Heights episode reached 1.3 million concurrent YouTube viewers, which Amazon said was a record for a podcast on the platform at the time.
What this means for Kelce’s legacy
Kelce’s football legacy already includes 3 Super Bowl championships, numerous Chiefs receiving records, and a place among the most productive tight ends in NFL history.
His self-deprecating humor also remains a central part of his public persona. Even after a 9-catch, 101-yard performance against Indianapolis, Kelce was willing to laugh at how awkward he thought he looked while scoring.
For now, the 36-year-old is still producing in his 14th NFL season while joking about being a “fat old guy” on New Heights.
Little-known fact: In August 2026, Kelce partnered with Publicis Sports to launch TEKTA, an NIL consulting and activation venture giving participating brands access to a network spanning 45,000 Division I student-athletes and 68 Power Four universities.
TL;DR
- Kelce joked that he looked like a “fat old guy” while reviewing his touchdown against the Colts on New Heights.
- The Chiefs won 33-30 in overtime, improving to 2-0 to start the 2026 season.
- Kelce finished with 9 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.
- He has recorded 37 100-yard receiving performances since 2016, third most among NFL players over that span.
- ESPN reported that Kelce lost about 25 pounds during the 2025 offseason ahead of his 13th NFL season, though Kelce disputed the exact figure.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
