The NFL’s stats (ratings) have greatly benefited from Travis Kelce’s romance with Taylor Swift. Travis Kelce’s numbers? Not so much.
Travis Kelce has only eight receptions for 69 yards and no touchdowns through three weeks of the season. The drop-off in production has led to prolonged conversations among analysts during games, and now it has also led to discussion on podcasts.
Legendary New York sports talk radio host Mike Francesa questioned Kelce’s dedication to football while wrapping up his latest podcast episode.
“As an organization and as a coach, you would have to question how dedicated Kelce is to the sport right now,’ Francesa said. “He has a lot going on in his life. His life has taken a radical change.
“You see him in commercials, you see him in photo ops, you see him now very conscious of how he’s dressed… and where the paparazzi are and everything else. It changed his life. And you wonder, where does football and where does football preparation enter into that?”
Returning to the topic later, Francesa said: “Clearly at this stage of his career, you wonder where he is in his dedication, in his preparation, because his performance has fallen off dramatically. And it’s not just, “oh the Chiefs are going away from Kelce.” It’s more than that. It’s extremely human. His life has changed. He’s now prancing around the globe with one of the most famous people in the world. His life is a photo op.”
To put it in perspective, after the first three games of the 2023 season, Kelce had 17 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. So, the three-time Super Bowl champ isn’t doing half what he’s accustomed to doing.
NBC analyst Rodney Harrison says he no longer sees Kelce as a “great player.”
“He’s busy,” Harrison explained. “He’s got a lot on his plate. You think about it. He’s doing a lot of different things. Media-wise, he’s playing football. He’s got other things going on.
“When you’re in that situation, you’ve got to forget about everything else and focus 100 percent on football. That’s the main responsibility.
“Guys are making plays on him. Jesse Bates did a heck of a job on him tonight.
“He (Kelce) just doesn’t have the same speed. He’s a good player still but I don’t believe he’s a great, great player.”
