Travis Kelce admits he has had a slower start to his football season this year amid ongoing criticism.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother, Jason Kelce, were breaking down the Chiefs’ latest victory against the Los Angeles Chargers when Jason congratulated him for “finally get[ting] going” after Travis “had notably been struggling a little bit” the first three games.
“[I was] struggling in terms of stats. I was still playing winning football, and that’s all that f–king matters,” Travis clarified on Wednesday’s episode of their “New Heights” podcast.
Travis, 34, pointed out that he had a “solid game” with 89 yards and seven catches, which was significantly higher than his last few games where he hadn’t surpassed more than 34 yards.
“I was accountable this game. I didn’t have any drops –– which was what happened in Atlanta to make me feel like I had a bad game, but I still didn’t have an outstanding game. There’s a lot that goes into having a great game,” he explained.
Despite not having the best game of his career, Travis still pointed out, “I helped my team find a way to win, and that is all that will ever matter.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion didn’t directly address criticism from some fans and commentators that his relationship with Taylor Swift has played a role in his concentration, but he did reiterate that “everything outside of the building is just noise.”
Travis previously raised eyebrows during his Sept. 22 game against the Atlanta Falcons when he was seen looking downcast on the sidelines.
“We’re finding ways to win games, but we’re not playing our best football,” Travis subsequently admitted on the Sept. 25 episode of “New Heights.”
The “Grotesquerie” actor acknowledged that he is “not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field,” because their opposing team’s defenses have focused on covering him more this season than in years past.
“I’ve had a lot of catches in this league, man. I’m not worried about the catches and the yards and all of that,” he assured his brother.
Travis did not address Swift’s absence the last two games, but a source recently explained to us that she is preparing to return to her Eras Tour and also struggles with security at games not at his home Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
“If she is going to a place that isn’t Arrowhead, there are security concerns,” an insider told us on Monday. “She has worked with Arrowhead so many times, they feel at ease and comfortable. Going to all kinds of different stadiums, you need to send a team in advance.”