Travis Kelce‘s performance during his second NFL season while dating Taylor Swift has raised eyebrows.
Kelce, 34, has just 69 receiving yards with 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 larger dose of scrutiny than most veteran tight ends with lower early-season production.
His relationship with Swift, the Chiefs’ ambition to become the first NFL team in history to win three straight Super Bowls and a more intrusive political climate have somehow made Kelce a topic of negative discussion this week.
ESPN “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith used a segment on his show Wednesday to call out Kelce for his slow start, claiming his team won’t accomplish its historic mission unless the tight end “gets it going.”
Whoopi Goldberg also called out Chiefs fans who were blaming Swift for Kelce’s poor performance during an episode of “The View” Tuesday. Goldberg appeared to be referencing recent social media conversation by fans blaming Kelce’s relationship with Swift for his early-season struggles.
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., Sept. 15, 2024. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
Swift, who endorsed Kamala Harris Sept. 10, did not appear at the Chiefs’ most recent game in Atlanta against the Falcons 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 their history of sitting together in suites last season.
Brittany has been linked to support for Donald Trump on social media over the last month, raising questions about political differences between the celebrities.
Before the start of the season, both Patrick Mahomes and Kelce said Swift was also attempting to “draw up plays” for the Chiefs. These plays would focus on getting the ball to Kelce, which the tight end explained in an interview on the “Rich Eisen Show” Sept. 3.
Now, after a start that indicates 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 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., Aug. 22, 2024. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA Today Sports)
“I know people are saying that he’s old or that he has distractions, but defenses don’t think that,” the Chiefs head coach told reporters. “Trav is fine. He just keeps being Trav. He works his tail off. He hasn’t lost a step. He’s not distracted.”
Taylor Swift stands with Donna Kelce after the AFC championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens Jan. 28, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Mahomes, who is having the worst statistical start to a season of his career, has also defended Kelce, saying Kelce’s not 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 is he wants to make an impact on the game, but he wants to win at the end of the day. I’m gonna try to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there, whenever he’s open.” Mahomes said.
“People are really emphasizing trying to take him away, and that’s getting other guys open.”
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 Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
During the Chiefs’ win Sunday against the Falcons, the NBC broadcast showed Kelce looking downcast on the bench as he reviewed some film with 59 seconds to go before halftime. At that point, the Chiefs were on their way to a win and a perfect 3-0 start.
The footage of Kelce sparked a wave of online reactions. Fans wondered if his mood was related to Swift. However, Kelce said his mood at that moment was related to his level of play in this week’s episode of “New Heights.”
That hasn’t stopped others from theorizing Kelce is the victim of the “NFL Wag Curse,” a celebrity superstition about a pattern of misfortune for players who date high-profile celebrity women. Other examples include former Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo, who dated Jessica Simpson from 2007-09; 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 lead the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl title of the Reid-Mahomes era.