KANSAS CITY CHIEFS tight end Travis Kelce has a lot to celebrate, from his team’s win at this year’s Super Bowl to his whirlwind romance with pop superstar Taylor Swift. But the NFL golden boy’s winning streak has been accompanied by scrutiny of his physique.
Kelce and Swift recently jetted off to the Bahamas for a vacation during a break in the schedule of Swift’s ongoing Eras Tour. The couple were photographed by paparazzi taking a walk on the beach in their swimwear, and when the resulting photos began to spread online, the shirtless Chief was accused of having a “dad bod.”
It’s currently the NFL offseason, and Kelce stated in a recent episode of the New Heights podcast that he’s put on a little weight as he won’t be playing a pro game until September. Still, the “dad bod” descriptor isn’t exactly accurate… and Kelce isn’t even the only football player getting body-shamed. His teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and his older brother, recently retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, have both been at the center of dad bod discourse earlier this year.
People saying that Travis Kelce has a “dad bod” is reminding me of when they said Jessica Simpson was fat. These are healthy bodies. Touch grass people.
Back in January, the NFL shared a video of Kelce’s teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, going shirtless in a locker room after they won the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens, which prompted some online commenters to pass judgment on his fuller body, calling him “bloated” and “fat,” and claiming he has a “beer gut.” To call Mahomes fat in said photo is a stretch, but the internet moves in incomprehensible ways: GOAT and famous beanpole Tom Brady has suffered the same B.S. in the past.
Mahomes responded in good humor, responding to the video in a tweet, “Yoooo why they have to do me like that!?!?!?” and following it up with a post that read: “Like i got kids!!!!”
In other words: Mahomes is a dad, and therefore he’s rocking a dad bod—the term originally coined to describe a thicker male build, and frequently misappropriated to describe typically fit men. Some bigger guys might be annoyed that the phrase “dad bod” is being applied here to literal pro athletes who are playing at the height of their skills, and carrying the weight they need to bring power to their game. But while trolls and tabloids will often invoke “dad bod” as a tacit form of body-shaming, the term should be worn proudly. And Mahomes fans understood that, flooding his mentions this week with affirmation to combat the small proportion of haters.
As one reply put it: “Everyone acting like he’s not more fit than 90 percent of America still.”
It’s also worth remembering that aesthetics aren’t necessarily an accurate indicator of performance, especially for quarterbacks, because that position has historically always been not built around pure athleticism. Mahomes was drafted for his arm and ability to throw from multiple platforms, which doesn’t require anything like six-pack abs, ripped pecs, or 6 percent bodyfat.
