After Rodney Harrison, an NFL commentator, attributed Travis Kelce’s recent poor performance for the Kansas City Chiefs to his other obligations, incensed Swifties retaliated.
The defending Super Bowl winners defeated the Atlanta Falcons 22–17 on Sunday night to increase their perfect record to 3-0.
However, Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift missed the game, so it was just another quiet night for him. In a viral video, photographers captured him in a particularly bad mood on the sidelines.
With just four receptions for thirty yards in Atlanta, Kelce, 34, maintained his remarkably slow start to the season as he attempts to add a fourth Super Bowl ring—and third straight—to his collection in 2024.
Harrison, an NBC employee, criticized Kelce harshly after the game, saying, “He’s busy.” He has numerous responsibilities.
‘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 per cent 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.’
Some of Swift’s devoted followers were incensed by those remarks, and they turned to social media to support the Chiefs tight end.
One posted: ‘This is such a bs talking point. Because if you actually paid attention to Trav, he’s 150% locked in on football.
‘Outside of the podcast (that he films on his off day), we do not see him. All of the “stuff” you see him involved with was done during the off season. I’m tired.’
Another tagged Harrison into their post and wrote: ‘@Rodney_Harrison I see you have a family, but what I don’t see if you saying that your wife is distracting you from your job. Keep Travis’s personal life away from the game, or put yours into it.’
‘There’s no way. Travis stays late at the facility getting more reps in and they decide to say that’, added a third Swiftie.
Other fans blamed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid for not getting the ball to Kelce.
A fan said: ‘And they start blaming his offseason stuff again, no one talks about how Mahomes doesn’t give him the ball when he’s open.’
Another added: ‘”He doesn’t have the same speed” and yet he’s getting open every play and successfully blocking. I’m done’
Despite increasing his total of receptions to eight, Kelce’s three-game total is now just 69 yards after his comeback against the Falcons.
After the game, Mahomes asserted that opponents’ coverage on Kelce is making it difficult to get the ball to him.
The quarterback said: ‘I mean the respect factor they have for Travis is still unreal and it’s well deserved.
‘We’re calling a lot of plays for Travis and it’s like two or three people are going to him.
‘He understands. That’s the great thing about him. He wants to make an impact on the game but he wants to win at the end of the day.
‘I’m going to try and do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there, whenever he’s open.
‘I think the more Rashee (Rice) makes plays, the more we’re able to run the football, the more we can get (Xavier) Worthy involved, I think that’s going to open up Travis more.
‘People are really emphasizing trying to take him away and it’s getting other guys open.’
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