The new NFL season is upon us, which means it’s time for another of the funniest sports media games, “Travis Kelce is struggling, and it’s all Taylor Swift’s fault.”
Well, after three games, Travis hasn’t put in the kind of dominant performance that Kansas City Chiefs fans have come to expect from their favorite running back.
Of course, there are a lot of factors at play there, not the least of which is the fact that Kelce will turn 35 next month.
(For context, he’s about a decade older than the other two tight ends on the Chiefs’ roster.)
In the past, Travis’ performance improved as the season progressed, and that will be the case again this year.
But don’t tell that to the heat-shooting machine who makes a living by talking nonsense on little-known sports podcasts!
Then again, the news that Coach Andy Reid is benching doesn’t help matters…
The Kansas City Head Coach announced his star player has been benched
During the third game of the Super Bowl championship in the 2024-25 season, less attention was paid to the fact that a man won three games in a row than Travis Kelce sitting on the bench.
The camera caught Travis looking gloomy and depressed. Some thought it was because their girlfriends lost the game; Another concern is because of the poor performance during the game. The latter fears that Travis’ time on the bench will continue if his game is not checked.
And then Andy Reid announced he would be one of the star players for the foreseeable future.
But, not Travis!
The left tackle position remains a major question mark for the Chiefs, as neither rookie Kingsley Suamataia nor sophomore Wanya Morris have been significantly out of action.
Therefore, after winning three games in a row, Reid told reporters that Morris will start in Week 4 against the Chargers. So, Suamataia has officially been benched, and it is unclear when he will return.
So Travis is safe – for now…
Former ESPN analyst Todd McShay blasted Travis during a recent appearance on “The Ryen Russillo Show.”
“Every show I’ve watched, every pregame show, halftime show, postgame show, weekday show, every broadcast I’ve watched in the last few weeks, it’s like we’re not allowed to say he’s out of shape?” McShay asked, according to Page Six.
“Has he been partying all offseason? He’s been jet-setting with probably the most famous people in the world,” the pundit continued.
“I want you to take a picture from the preseason of 2022 and then take a picture of the preseason of 2024, they are almost not human.”
Many Causes of Travis’ Tough Season
McShay continues to deny claims that Kelce’s production has decreased as a result of the fact that he is frequently targeted for double coverage by opposing defenses.
“Here’s the problem, the bottom line with Kelce: The coverage and respect he gets is the same, the athlete isn’t,” he said.
“Now, will he establish himself during the season? Yes, I’m sure he will.
“He’s an unbelievable competitor, he’s one of the best we can do and he still finds a way to play a game or two here and there and pop up every now and then, but he’s not the same person he is now.”
What Is The Future For Travis And Taylor?
So will Travis Kelce retire at the end of the current NFL season? It seems highly likely, especially if he reaches the goal to lead the Chiefs to an unprecedented third-straight Super Bowl victory.
In any case, even if Travis has lost a step, and the suffering now proves to be permanent, it is absurd to blame the decline on Taylor.
But unfortunately, this is not common. Some deranged fans even called for Taylor to be banned from NFL games.
Fortunately, McShay didn’t take it too far. In fact, he admitted that several factors contributed to Travis’ lackluster season.
“I didn’t see the same explosiveness. I saw him wearing down a little in the game. It’s okay. He will be able to return to form. It’s not the first person who is not quite elite like him,” said McShay.
“I think Kelce is doing more commercials and stuff. He’s been doing more events, doing more social stuff,” he said.
“It’s impossible to do that schedule and still have the same amount of time for football.”
Of course, Travis maintained a very busy schedule last season, and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
So maybe this McShay character just doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
