NFL stats (viewer ratings) are benefiting greatly from Travis Kelce's romance with Taylor Swift. What about Travis Kelce's numbers? Not really.
Travis Kelce has eight receptions for 69 yards and no touchdowns through three weeks this season, and his declining production has led to prolonged conversations between analysts during games and now on podcasts.
Legendary New York sports talk radio host Mike Francesa concluded his latest podcast episode by questioning Kelce's dedication to football.
“You have to wonder, both as an organization and as a coach, how committed Kelsey is to the sport right now,” Francesa said. “He has a lot going on in his life. His life has changed dramatically.”
“When you see him in commercials and photo shoots, you see he now pays so much attention to how he's dressed, where the paparazzi are, everything. It's changed his life. And you wonder what football and football preparation has to do with that.”
Francesa later returned to the topic, saying, “At this stage in his career, your performance has dropped off so dramatically that it's obvious you wonder where his dedication is, where his preparation is. And it's not just a case of, 'Oh, the Chiefs are moving on from Kelce.' It's more than that. It's a very human thing. His life has changed. He's now flying around the world with one of the most famous people in the world. His life is a photo opportunity.”
Look at it this way: through the first three games of the 2023 season, Kelce has 17 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. That means the three-time Super Bowl champion isn't even performing at half his usual capacity.
NBC analyst Rodney Harrison said he no longer sees Kelce as a “great player.”
“He's a busy guy,” Harrison explained. “He has a ton to do. If you think about it, he does a lot of stuff. Media stuff, he does football. He has a ton of other stuff to do.”
“When you're in that situation you have to forget about everything else and focus 100 percent on football. That's your main responsibility.”
“Everybody's playing against him. Jessie Bates did a great job against him tonight.”
“He (Kelce) doesn't have the same speed. He's still a good player, but I don't think he's a great player.”
