Many fans have expressed frustration with the high-profile nature of their relationship.
Opinions vary on whether Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s relationship with pop star Taylor Swift has impacted his performance this season.
Kelce had a slow start, recording just eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns in the Chiefs’ first three games, two of which Swift attended.
While some critics blame Swift for Kelce’s lower-than-expected stats, the numbers reveal little difference between games she attended — 13 catches, 109 yards — and those she didn’t — 15 catches, 136 yards.
More significant than the stats, however, is how the relationship is viewed by the Chiefs’ locker room and whether they believe it affects Kelce’s game.
In a recent interview on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo addressed the topic.
“I don’t hear it; I don’t feel that — I’m not flipping through the phone trying to figure [out if he’s distracted or not],” Spagnuolo said. “So, I wasn’t really aware [people were talking about his relationship as a distraction]. Every once in a while, you might hear something, but we don’t worry about Travis. Listen, Travis, there’s some guys in all of professional sports that you know when you’re going to need them the most, they’ll show up, and that’s Travis.”
He also noted that as long as the Chiefs keep winning, the backlash remains limited, but he’s aware that could change if their fortunes do.
Kelce has admitted that Swift gets some unwarranted criticism when she attends his games, but he’s managed to shrug it off so far.
“We’ve just got to keep winning,” Kelce said on his “New Heights” podcast last week. “If we lose, it’s going to absolutely f***ing rain down, baby. Just got to keep winning and staying on top.”
