Fans Declare Travis Kelce’s New Look at Training Camp Is a ‘Taylor Swift Glow Up’
Fans had a lot to say about Travis Kelce’s latest look as the star football player arrived in St. Joseph, Mo., to prepare for the 2024 NFL season with his team—and many speculated Taylor Swift had something to do with it.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp officially kicked off on Sunday, July 21. The team shared video footage on social media showing fan-favorite players like Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes decked out in their gear and ready to play.
As fans of Kelce—and his pop superstar girlfriend—noticed, Kelce’s look changed a bit since his recent sightings at Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Germany and at last weekend’s American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament.
While Kelce’s mustache was fully grown in, he had shaved his beard and let his hair grow out a bit. The look sharply contrasted with his appearance at training camp last year, when he kept his hair shorter and wore a mustache and beard.
When the Chiefs posted a video of Kelce on X, formerly Twitter, the team announced that fans were seeing the “return of El Travador,” referencing a nickname Kelce earned for similar looks he’s had in previous seasons. Kelce’s New Heights podcast also used the nickname as it reshared the video on X.
Some fans who commented on the footage approved of the look, with one person asking, “He really is one of the most handsome men on earth ain’t he.”
“Lookin’ good, Travador!! Can’t wait for football!” another fan cheered.
“Live laugh love @tkelce’s alter ego with da mustache, El Travador,” one X user tweeted as another jokingly combined Kelce’s “El Travador” and “Killatrav” nicknames, writing, “Killador returns to battle.”
“All I’ll say is I’ve had a major crush on tom selleck pretty much my whole life so things are looking pretty good for me rn,” wrote one fan who tweeted side-by-side photos of Kelce’s latest look and a snap of the Blue Bloods star.
Another set of side-by-side images contrasted Kelce’s appearance on Sunday with a photo of him during the Chiefs’ training camp last year. The difference was evidence of “a taylor swift glow up,” the X user declared in their tweet.
But not all fans were thrilled to see the return of the tight end’s “mustache era.” Many X users urged him to “please remove” it, adding, “A 3-day beard definitely looks better.”
“Sigh, that damn mustache 😂 😂,” another fan wrote.
Now that training camp has officially kicked off, Kelce and his teammates are expected to stay busy preparing for the season through mid-August. Their first pre-season game is on Aug. 10.
