Travis Kelce's performance during his second NFL season while dating Taylor Swift has raised eyebrows.
Kelce, 34, has just 69 receiving yards and no touchdowns through the first three games of the season. It's one of the slowest starts of his career. And Kelce's poor start this year has come with a much heavier dose of scrutiny than most veteran tight ends with subpar production early in the season.
His relationship with Swift, the Chiefs' ambition to become the first NFL team in history to win three consecutive Super Bowls and a more intrusive political climate have somehow made Kelce a topic of negative discussion this week.
ESPN's “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith used a segment of his show Wednesday to criticize Kelce for his slow start, claiming his team won't accomplish its historic mission unless the tight end “gets going.”
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Whoopi Goldberg also criticized Chiefs fans who blamed Swift for Kelce's poor performance during an episode of “The View” on Tuesday. Goldberg appeared to reference a recent conversation on social media from fans who blamed Kelce's relationship with Swift for their issues earlier in the season.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 15, 2024. (Images by Denny Medley-Imagn)
Swift, who endorsed Kamala Harris on Sept. 10, did not appear in the Chiefs’ final game in Atlanta against the Falcons on Sunday. It was the first game of the season she missed. She attended the first two games but sat separately from Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kelce’s teammate Patrick Mahomes, after they sat together in suites last season.
Brittany has been linked to her support for Donald Trump on social media over the past month, sparking questions about political differences between the celebrities.
Before the start of the season, both Patrick Mahomes and Kelce said Swift was also trying to “design plays” for the Chiefs. These plays would center around getting the ball to Kelce, something the tight end explained in an interview on the “Rich Eisen Show” on Sept. 3.
Now, after a start that indicates either decline or distractions for the perennial Pro Bowler, his head coach has weighed in. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the negative comments about Kelce in a press conference on Wednesday.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts to a touchdown during the second half against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 22, 2024. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA Today Sports)
“I know people say he's old or he has distractions, but defenses don't think that,” the Chiefs' head coach told reporters. “Trav is fine. He's still Trav. He's trying his hardest. He hasn't missed a beat. He doesn't get distracted.”
Taylor Swift fans are worried about Travis Kelce, who looks dejected during the game
Taylor Swift with Donna Kelce after the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on January 28, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Mahomes, who is having the worst statistical start of his career, has also defended Kelce, saying Kelce isn't getting the ball because opposing defenses are committing too many players to covering Kelce.
“We're calling a lot of plays for Travis, and it's like two or three people are going to him. He understands. That's the great thing about him, he wants to have an impact on the game, but he wants to win at the end of the day. I'm going to try to do the best I can to keep getting him the ball when he's out there, when he's open,” Mahomes said.
“People are putting a lot of emphasis on trying to get him away, and that's leaving other players free.”
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Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
During the Chiefs' win Sunday against the Falcons, the NBC broadcast showed Kelce dejected on the bench as he reviewed video with 59 seconds left in the half. At the time, the Chiefs were on their way to victory and a perfect 3-0 start.
Kelce's footage sparked a wave of reactions online. Fans wondered if his mood was related to Swift. However, Kelce said his mood at the time was related to his level of play on this week's episode of “New Heights.”
That hasn't stopped others from theorizing that Kelce is a victim of the “NFL curse,” a celebrity superstition about a pattern of bad luck for players who date high-profile famous women. Other examples include former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who dated Jessica Simpson from 2007 to 2009; former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who dated reality star Kristin Cavallari; and Romo again when he dated Carrie Underwood.
Kelce was thought to have avoided the curse last year, when he helped the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl title of the Reid-Mahomes era.
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