Travis and Jason Kelce just crashed the viral 2016 trend, posting decade-old photos that left fans double-taking at the NFL brothers’ dramatic style changes and throwback family moments.
The Kelces’ podcast, New Heights, dropped the carousel on January 15, instantly racking up thousands of likes and comments as followers marveled at everything from Travis’s neon pants to Jason’s pre-wedding days.
Inside the Instagram Carousel
- Slide 1: Travis, Jason and dad Ed in Hawaiian shirts on a tropical trip
- Slide 2: Jason’s surprised face in his Eagles jersey
- Slide 3: Travis in Chiefs No. 87 with a carefully quaffed comb-over
- Slide 4: Christmas tree shot featuring parents Ed and Donna plus Jason’s then-girlfriend Kylie
- Slide 5: Travis swinging a baseball bat
- Slide 6: Dressed-up Jason and Kylie gazing at each other pre-marriage
- Slide 7 & 8: Stills from Travis’s 2016 reality show Catching Kelce
- Slide 9: Family dinner at Kansas City barbecue hotspot Q39
What the Caption Said
“I heard we’re throwing it back to 2016,” the post announced, echoing the millions of users who have adopted the meme since January 1, 2026, when the hashtag #2016 began flooding TikTok. The tag now counts 1.7 million posts as people pine for what many call a “simpler time.”
A Decade of Change for the Kelces
Since 2016 the brothers’ lives have shifted dramatically:
- Travis captured three Super Bowl titles, set tight-end records, started dating Taylor Swift and got engaged
- Jason won a Super Bowl, retired as one of the greatest centers ever, married Kylie and became a father of four
How the 2016 Trend Took Off
The trend ignited within minutes of midnight on New Year’s Eve, when social feeds filled with filtered snapshots from 2016. Users crowned 2026 the “new 2016,” swapping memories of old outfits, forgotten trips and pre-pandemic life.
Fan Reactions
Commenters on the New Heights post called the Kelce throwbacks “unrecognizable,” praising the brothers for embracing the nostalgia wave sweeping TikTok, Instagram and X.
Why It Matters
The Kelces joining the meme highlights how athletes drive online culture, while giving fans a rare glimpse of the NFL stars before fame, championships and headline-making romances rewrote their stories.
