And that’s why karma came back around to prove his polarizing mustache look may not have been the worst style risk he’s ever taken after all.
In a recent clip from the New Heights podcast, Travis—who has been dating Taylor Swiftfor over a year—and brother Jason Kelce listen to a question from a fan who is grappling with how to tell her husband she prefers him with facial hair. The Philadelphia Eagles alum’s long-winded answer proved Travis may have had something right with his Andy Reid-inspired look.
“I would approach it like this,” Jason explained in the clip shared to the New Heights TikTok Nov. 14. “Most men have beards. Evolutionarily speaking, the reason that would be is because most men with beards would have fornicated with women in the past, and women have found that attractive in the past.”
And while Travis made some dubious facial expressions as Jason made his point, he let his brother continue.
“Otherwise, the men without beards would have been the ones fornicating,” the 37-year-old—who shares daughters Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 3, and Bennett, 22 months with wife Kylie Kelce—continued. “I think this is how evolution works, Travis. Women are just attracted to beards, I think it’s a scientific fact.”
As Jason later admitted, “This is why I have a beard, I look awful without a beard.”
To which Travis jokingly added, “I’ve been getting cooked all year for having a mustache.”
Indeed, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end received some playful criticism for his ambitious look, with his team’s Instagram account jokingly referring to it as “The return of El Travador,” during training camp in July.
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But while he has received his fair share of mocking for the facial hair, he has stood firm in debuting the annual style switch-up.
“It's all having fun at camp, man,” Travis explained of his mustache look in 2023. “Shout out to Andy Reid, baby: It's 'stache time, baby. The power of the 'stache.”
The power of the ‘stache may have also played a role in his romance with Taylor. After all, Travis was sporting the facial hair when he first met the “Fortnight” singer last year.
In fact, he indicated it may have been a good luck charm, as he noted in an October 2023 press conference, “I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
Keep reading for more stars’ hair transformations.