NFL

Is Taylor Swift Distracting Travis Kelce & The Chiefs? Find Out Here

Darren Ryding - November 6, 2024

NFL

Is Taylor Swift Distracting Travis Kelce & The Chiefs? Find Out Here

Darren Ryding - November 6, 2024

The highly-publicized relationship between pop megastar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is reaching new heights. The NFL can’t stop talking about it while the entertainment world doesn’t know what to make of it. But after the Chiefs lost a shocker to the downtrodden Denver Broncos last week, many are arguing that it’s now beginning to affect Kelce’s performance levels. Some even believe it’s become an unwanted distraction for the Chiefs as they attempt to defend their Super Bowl title.

So let’s look at the main reasons why their connection may become a dangerous distraction. In the end, Kelce is a professional athlete competing for the highest honors and accolades in his sport. Will Swift eventually become the Yoko Ono to his connection with Pat Mahomes? Let’s hope not. In the meantime, lets examine if cracks are truly starting to form because of Swift right here.

Embarrassing Loss

An occasional loss won’t kill the Chiefs’ season because they’re still playing well and sitting atop the AFC at 6-2, albeit with a slight lead in the conference. However, there are simply no excuses to make for their embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos. Patrick Mahomes had a poor display while Kelce had his worst game of 2023. Swift didn’t attend because she was on tour but was arguably still a distraction.

That’s because there was a new – warranted or unwarranted – narrative about Kelce only winning when Swift was there. This is obviously foolish because he’s a two-time Super Bowl champion but it doesn’t help focus his or the team’s mindset nonetheless. It’s safe to say that their public relationship is becoming a distraction for the franchise and the sport’s best tight end (via Sports Illustrated).

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Personal Problems

The Chiefs also remain comfortably on top of the AFC West rankings but there are still rumblings that they aren’t as strong as in 2022. They rank 12th in scoring offense after leading the NFL the previous year. Kelce led them in receiving during their shocking loss to Denver but his numbers don’t paint the full picture (via Bleacher Report).

He had six receptions for 58 yards against the Broncos but he didn’t perform up to his usual lofty standards. Kelce missed routes, dropped passes, and generally made the fans groan with his garbage (for him) display. The tight end admitted that he needs to do better so perhaps the external distraction of Swift is affecting him underneath the surface.

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Over The Top

Even Kelce has admitted that the NFL is taking his relationship with Swift too far. He couldn’t believe it when the cameras cut to Swift’s luxury suite an alarming 17 times when the Chiefs played the Jets. That’s almost once per drive and it’s an insane distraction for the player and team.

Kelce said: “I think it’s fun when they show who was at the game. I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere and brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, I think they’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure, especially my situation. I think they’re just trying to have fun with it (via The Guardian).”

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NBA Culture

Jason Kelce admitted his concern about his brother’s current situation. The Eagles legend criticized the NFL because he believes they should take the same approach as the NBA to celebrities. Basketball only shows celebs once instead of returning to them all game. Meanwhile, the elder Kelce also had thoughts about the media’s approach (via Huff Post).

Kelce said: “On one hand, I’m happy for my brother that he seems to be in a relationship that he’s excited about, that he is genuine about. But there’s another end of it where it’s like, ‘Man, this is a lot.’ There’s paparazzi talking about him fueling his car before the game today and I’m like, ‘Is that really necessary information to share?’”

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Business or Pleasure?

Some fans speculated that Kelce broke team curfew when paparazzi caught him sneaking out of Swift’s New York hotel. This was when he was in town to play the Jets at the MetLife Stadium. They believed that his focus should have been on the game, not his pop star girlfriend.

Maybe he should take a leaf out of Swift’s book because she has no problem separating business from pleasure. She famously refused to meet him after her concert at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. That’s because she doesn’t speak for two hours after a performance to heal her voice (via The Mirror).

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Tour Time

Fans may not see Swift at Kelce’s games because she’s on an international tour. The pop icon is traveling around the world for her Eras Tour but could still be a distraction. If Kelce doesn’t play well, critics will say it’s because he’s missing his girlfriend. Meanwhile, what if pictures show Swift enjoying time with other male celebrities?

Kelce’s older brother Jason observed the impact Swift had on his performances. The Philly star told Travis “When T. Swift is at the game, you’re averaging 99 yards. And when you’re left with only your friends and remaining family there, you are at 46.5 yards a game (via New York Post).”

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Heartbreaker

Swift has a long history of breaking hearts. Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, and Harry Styles are some of the names on her list. Recently, she came out of her longest-ever relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. She’s been with the likes of Twilight star Taylor Lautner and even a Kennedy (via Genius).

She’s absolutely in her right to date who she wants to because she’s a strong, independent woman. Kelce is a break from her type because he’s the first professional athlete that she’s been with. However, it would be a shock to see them together for the long term. Everybody knows that Kelce’s song is coming and the Chiefs locker room may not be a happy place because of the distraction it causes as a result.

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The World Series

All-time NFL great Shannon Sharpe criticized Kelce after he attended the World Series in Texas in late October. The former Broncos and Ravens tight end believes Kelce’s head isn’t in the game right now. Swift didn’t attend the baseball with Kelce but he didn’t forget about her. We’ll talk about that in a moment.

Sharpe tweeted: “To be at a World Series game when you should have your feet up, trying to get to the Super Bowl is insane to me,” Sharpe wrote on X, alongside an accompanying video Sunday night.” It seems that Kelce’s decision-making has gone out of the window (via The Messenger).

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Love Story

After the game, Kelce went to an Arlington bar where he sang along to Swift’s song Love Story. This probably isn’t what any coach wants to see from their players on the Friday night before the game. Kelce probably thought that it was funny to sing his girlfriend’s song and feed the NFL hysteria.

But it was poor decision-making on his part because it added fuel to the fire. Many people think that she’s a bad distraction for him and it seems like he can’t get her out of his head. If he put his feet up after watching the World Series, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, this arguably just made everything worse (via Elle).

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Swift and Brittany

This hasn’t happened yet but we dread the moment when it does. Every second that Kelce spends with Swift increases the likelihood of Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany doing something ridiculous. Everybody knows that she can’t help but make everything about her and that may become too tempting.

We’ve already seen pictures of Mahomes sitting beside Swift in their luxury box. But she hasn’t done anything too crazy to use Swift for clout yet. However, it’s bound to happen and it will be the ultimate cringe. Maybe that’s why Swift is so eager to stick to touring at the moment (via People).

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Blame Culture

None of Swift’s previous boyfriends comprehended her level of fame. They couldn’t go anywhere without a security escort. Meanwhile, the paparazzi and diehard fans follow them everywhere. This makes it difficult for them to maintain stable relationships because there’s always a distraction (via Yardbreaker).

Kelce said: “I’ve always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building. I think it’s always been that for me. No matter what’s going on in my life, good or bad, I think this is one place I can get away and just being locked in and focused and always check myself and my ego at the door and make sure that I come in with a clear mind.”

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Bad Girl

Some people think that Kelce has an unhealthy overdependent relationship with Swift already. They believe that this is a distraction for Kelce who now needs his girlfriend to be there to reach maximum levels. Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons admitted that this can be the case.

Parsons said: “When there is a bad girl and she’s in attendance, and she’s watching you – that gives you an extra boost of confidence. When you pull up to the gym and your girl’s with you, I don’t care who’s in front of me.” The statistics prove that Kelce is actually playing better with Swift in attendance (via CBS Sports).

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Fan Fodder

The Chiefs and Kelce also discovered that teams will use the Swift connection against them. Denver humiliated Kansas City and their tight end in the most savage possible way. After they won the game, they played ‘Shake it Off,’ one of Swift’s biggest hits. It was a brilliant burn that their fans gleefully shared online.

Kelce is good at taking these things in his stride but this will become tedious if it keeps happening. His relationship with Swift is a distraction and who knows how much it will play on his mind in future performances? To be fair, the NFL pushed this harder than he did but now it’s too late (via Fox News).

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Lack of Team Focus

No player is bigger than their team and it’s a problem if they become a distraction. Former NFL star Jason Bell told the Mirror that this will be on Andy Reid’s mind. Kelce is playing a risky game because he’s affecting the team’s focus. We’ve seen the Niners collapse in recent weeks after a bright start and the Chiefs won’t want that.

Bell said: “I could see Travis Kelce wanting to draw the focus away from his relationship, but it’s too late for that. No one within the team will want anything to be talked about except football. This is something they’re going to have to manage and take care of. It only becomes a distraction if they don’t play well.”

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Sexist Landscape

There’s no denying that the NFL is a sexist landscape. In recent years we’ve seen the likes of Cris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman apologize for sexist comments. Meanwhile, there have been multiple scandals involving owners like Dan Snyder and Robert Kraft. That’s not even mentioning the endless domestic violence cases.

In short, the league doesn’t always treat women with the utmost respect and it won’t be long before it turns on Swift. Her relationship with Kelce is already a distraction but things could become toxic. We’ve seen Jessica Simpson suffer horrible abuse in the past and nobody wants that for Swift (via The Guardian).

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Celebrity Concern

Longtime Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave Kelce his blessing to date Swift, but he may change his mind if it becomes too much of a distraction. That seems sooner rather than later now that things are getting out of hand. Selena Gomez reportedly has concerns about their whirlwind romance as do the Haim sisters.

One of Gomez’s confidantes told Page Six: “Selena thinks Taylor going to games and galavanting through New York immediately after just meeting Travis is something that is very unlike her. Historically, Taylor’s always been super private about everything, and now with this, she’s so open about it that it’s just very odd for Selena.”

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Disrespecting Football

Not everybody is enjoying the NFL’s explosion of popularity amongst Swift’s fanbase. The Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay hates the current hype around Swift and Kelce. Lindsay criticized Swifties for disrespecting the sport, Kelce, and not taking it seriously at all.

She told the Behind The Table podcast: “The media is playing into it too much. People are coming to games wearing shirts that say ‘Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.’ It’s just a little disrespectful to the sport, to the game, and even to Travis Kelce. I know I’m being so negative but I just can’t see the fun (via Entertainment Weekly).”

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Volatile Swifties

None of Swift’s boyfriends can prepare for the craziness of her obsessed fanbase. The singer even famously went online to tell them to stop bullying John Mayer. When her relationship with Kelce inevitably breaks down, it’s going to be carnage. They’ve already sent death threats to Kelce’s ex-girlfriend Maya Benberry.

Some Swifties also reacted angrily to Kelce’s comments from February 2023. He said on his podcast: “I gotta start breeding. I gotta start breeding. All the breeders out there, I’m going to find a breeder and I’m going to get kids so that mom can love me again.” The word ‘breeder’ antagonized a section of Swift’s fanbase who now hate him (via Sportskeeda).

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Real Motivation

Some analysts are questioning Kelce’s current motivation. Is he trying to win another Super Bowl with his team or does he care more about fame and what’s going on off the field? It would be natural if his connection with Swift turned his head. After all, it earned him millions of new followers as well as made his jersey the most popular in the entire league.

But Kelce admits that he lacked focus in their game against the Broncos. “That was a pretty embarrassing game, at least for myself,” Kelce said. “My coaches and teammates don’t deserve that out of me for sure.” It remains to be seen if they can rebound against Miami’s awesome offense in Germany this weekend (via TalkSport).

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Is It Even Real?

It’s fair to question if Kelce and Swift’s relationship is even genuine. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that Swift has overblown a relationship to win fans. She notoriously dated Tom Hiddleston in a bond of convenience despite the couple not having real feelings for each other.

Would it be shocking if that was actually the case right here? The worst outcome would be that Swift was using the gullible Kelce to get the NFL on her side. This would be a massive distraction for the Kansas City player and his team. Regardless, most people expect this to end in tears (via Essentially Sports).

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Is Taylor Swift Distracting Travis Kelce & The Chiefs? Find Out Here

Is Taylor Swift Distracting Travis Kelce & The Chiefs? Find Out Here

Embarrassing Loss

Personal Problems

Over The Top

NBA Culture

Business or Pleasure?

Tour Time

Heartbreaker

The World Series

Love Story

Swift and Brittany

Blame Culture

Bad Girl

Fan Fodder

Lack of Team Focus

Sexist Landscape

Celebrity Concern

Disrespecting Football

Volatile Swifties

Real Motivation

Is It Even Real?

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