Travis Kelce has expressed fear that fans will attack him and his girlfriend Taylor Swift if the Kansas City Chiefs cannot maintain their winning streak.
The Chiefs tight end, 35, and his girlfriend Swift, 34, have taken the NFL world by storm over the past year with the pop superstar making blockbuster appearances at their games, including last season’s Super Bowl .
However, not everyone has been a fan of the singer’s presence in stadiums across the league, with ‘dads, Brads and Chads’ criticizing her high-profile appearances and the NFL’s focus on her.
And, after a whirlwind offseason in which the beloved couple galloped around the world, Kelce fears criticism could rear its ugly head the moment the undefeated Chiefs lose this season.
“We have to keep winning,” Kelce said on the latest episode of his New Heights podcast this week.
Travis Kelce has expressed his fear that fans will come out to attack him and Taylor Swift.
The Chiefs star predicted he’ll face criticism if Kansas City loses during the latest episode of New Heights with his brother Jason (left) and guest Pat McAfee (center).
‘If we lose, it’s absolutely going to rain, darling. I just have to keep winning and stay on top,” he added, speaking with his co-host and brother Jason and guest Pat McAfee on Wednesday.
Despite Kelce’s concerns, McAfee, a former gambler turned media personality, insisted that the three-time Super Bowl winner’s Hollywood romance could only have a positive impact on the NFL.
“The relationship between you and Taylor is great for the sport,” the ESPN analyst said. ‘So many new people are being introduced.
‘You are also and have been the perfect representation of our sport. I think there is no other person who can do what you are doing now and how you are doing it. It’s incredible and all of us are incredibly proud of you.”
Kelce and Swift’s relationship has already been under the microscope this season amid the tight end’s slow start.
He struggled during the first few games of the season, making just eight catches in the first three matchups as the Chiefs chase a historic Super Bowl three-peat.
The three-time Super Bowl winner struggled amid a slow start to the season for the Chiefs.
Many have pointed to his eventful offseason and life outside of football with Swift as a possible reason for his decline on the field.
In addition to their action-packed summer, the A-list couple has enjoyed a busy personal life, regularly hitting the city for romantic nights out in New York City, including a double date with the singer’s best friends, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, last week.
They also swapped the soccer field for other sporting venues, watching the New York Yankees in playoff action this week and putting on a PDA-filled display at the US Open men’s final last month.
The criticism reportedly led Swift to opt to skip the Chiefs’ game against the Chargers in Los Angeles last month in an attempt to take the pressure and headlines off her NFL boyfriend.
Kelce has since bounced back in style, hauling in 16 receptions for 159 yards in his last two games to help the Chiefs go 5-0 in their bye week over the weekend.
There were similarly cynical suggestions that Swift was a “distraction” during the Super Bowl champions’ holiday slump last season.
After the Las Vegas Raiders stole Christmas last year, handing the Chiefs a stunning loss and setting them back from clinching a playoff berth, analyst Skip Bayless suggested Kansas City was to blame for Swift.
The ‘Fortnight’ singer is a regular at the tight end’s Chiefs games
She cheered wildly from the stands as Kelce continued his return to top form last week.
“Looks like it’s time to call Taylor Swift a distraction,” he posted on Twitter. ‘What do you think, Patrick? Andy? What about you, Travis?
Clay Travis also took to Twitter on Christmas Day, after the Chiefs’ loss, writing, “The Chiefs are not a good football team and it looks like Travis Kelce should retire.”
It’s been useless for the last seven or eight weeks. Pfizer’s useless double injections may have caught up with him. Either that or Taylor Swift is the Yoko Ono of the Chiefs. Maybe both.
But Kelce, head coach Andy Reid and his Chiefs teammates ignored the claims and ultimately hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas in February.
