Turns out Travis Kelce isn’t done after all.
With her seven-catch, 89-yard performance in Kansas City’s 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Taylor Swift may have quelled the growing criticism she has faced for her partying offseason.
The fact that he made just eight catches in the Chiefs’ first three games initially seemed to confirm fears that he wasn’t ready for the 2024 campaign. But, as CBS broadcast duo Jim Nantz and Tony Romo noted on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Kelce is far from done.
“Kelce is back,” Romo, the retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback, told Nantz.
“All hot takes, you gotta find someone else to troll this week,” Nantz responded, breaking slightly from his usually deferential demeanor.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce accused of being out of shape heading into 2024 season
CBS’s Tony Romo (left) and Jim Nantz (right) announce Super Bowl LVIII.
Kelce has faced continued criticism over the past year for everything from his notoriety and relationship with Swift to his endorsement of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. But with his poor production in Weeks 1-3, many critics had pointed to Kelce’s hard off-season partying as an explanation.
“Every show I watch, every pregame show, halftime show, postgame show, midweek show, every broadcast I’ve watched over the past few weeks, it’s like, can’t we just say he’s out of shape?” said Todd McShay, former NFL Draft analyst for ESPN, on The Ryne Russilo podcast.
—Have you been partying all low season? He’s been traveling by plane with the most famous person, probably in the entire world. That he’s drinking… going to the US Open.
McShay doubled down, saying Kelce’s “body is different” and “he’s not in the same shape.”
“I don’t see the same explosiveness,” McShay said. “I see him wear down a little bit in the game.”
Taylor Swift was in the Chiefs’ first two games this season before skipping last week’s game.
McShay admitted that Kelce could “get back into shape,” and that may already be the case, judging by his Week 4 effort.
Sunday was not only important for Kelce, but also for the Chiefs, who improved to 4-0 despite another slow start.
“We weren’t playing well,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after completing 20 of 29 passes during the day. “But I think the best thing is that no one talks about it and they’re starting to do it now, but our defense is really good.” They know how to close the door and keep us in the games. So they believe the offense will find a way to score enough points at the end.”
With Swift unavailable, Kelce recorded his 917th career catch, breaking Tony Gonzalez’s franchise record.
Rashee Rice and her fellow receivers wore custom jerseys to show their support for Kelce.
It certainly didn’t hurt that Los Angeles All-Pro safety Derwin James was suspended for illegal hits. However, Kelce still received plenty of defensive attention in the absence of Chiefs receivers Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, who is out indefinitely, and Rashee Rice, who may have been lost to a season-ending knee injury on Sunday. .
However, Kelce had his biggest accomplishment of the season: a 38-yard reception in the first half down the right sideline.
The Chiefs have now won six straight over the Chargers and 11 straight road wins within the AFC West.
“I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there,” coach Andy Reid said afterward. “It could have easily gone another direction, but the guys supported each other.”