Travis Kelce’s 2024 NFL Slow Start: What Critics, Teammates Have Said

Travis Kelce isn’t any stranger to stirring up dialogue, but it surely’s his on-field efficiency that’s actually had tongues wagging recently. 

Kelce, 34, is off to a traditionally gradual begin to the 2024 season with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish recording solely eight catches for 69 yards and 0 touchdowns via the crew’s first three video games.

For comparability’s sake, throughout the first three video games of Kelce’s best season in 2022, he amassed 184 receiving yards on 17 receptions on his technique to profession highs in receptions (110), receiving yards (1,338) and touchdowns (12). 

With the excessive expectations that Kelce has set for himself throughout his decade within the NFL, some followers have began to marvel what may very well be inflicting the athlete’s uncharacteristic efficiency.

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From sports activities journalists and daytime TV hosts to Kelce’s personal coaches and teammates, these effectively versed with the world of soccer have begun positing their very own theories. 

Kelce himself addressed the hunch on the September 18 episode of his “New Heights” podcast, telling brother Jason Kelce, “I ended caring about stats 4 or 5 years in the past.”

Preserve scrolling for a breakdown of all the things Kelce’s teammates — and critics — have mentioned in regards to the tight finish’s 2024 efficiency up to now:  

Todd McShay

In discussing Kelce’s underwhelming begin, former ESPN analyst Todd McShay didn’t mince phrases. 

“Are we not allowed to say that he’s out of practice?” the veteran reporter requested on “The Ryen Russillo Podcast’s” September 23 episode. “That he’s been partying all offseason? He’s been jet-setting round with probably the most well-known particular person, most likely in the complete world. He’s ingesting, going to the U.S. Open.”

McShay, 47, was making a reference to Kelce’s relationship with girlfriend Taylor Swift.

“I need you to take an image from preseason 2022 after which take an image preseason 2024. They’re barely the identical human being, Ryan,” McShay continued. “And everybody’s like, ‘We gotta get him the ball. Why isn’t he a part of the offense? The protection is double-covering.’ Right here’s the factor, backside line with Kelce, the protection and the respect he will get is identical. The athlete isn’t.”

Whereas McShay expressed optimism that Kelce would ultimately work his manner again into form, he asserted, “he’s not the identical man proper now.”

Mike Francesca

Longtime sports activities radio host Mike Francesa additionally urged that Kelce’s off-the-field exploits are hampering his manufacturing to kick off the season. 

“As a company and as a coach, you would need to query how devoted Kelce is to the game proper now,” he mentioned on “The Mike Francesa Podcast” Monday. “He has lots occurring in his life. His life has taken a radical change. You see him in commercials, you see him in picture ops, you see him now very aware of how he’s dressed.”

Francesa argued Kelce’s ascension to the A-list has “modified his life.”

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“And also you marvel,” Francesa continued, “the place does soccer and the place does soccer preparation enter into that?”

Francesa additionally introduced Kelce’s relationship with Swift into the equation, citing their high-profile romance as a catalyst for Kelce’s manufacturing “dropping off dramatically.”

“His life has modified,” Francesa mentioned. “He’s now prancing across the globe with one of the well-known individuals on the earth. His life is a photograph op.”

Stephen A. Smith

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith argued that Swift has turn out to be an even bigger star on Chiefs sport days, which he believes isn’t a very good signal.

“We noticed extra Taylor Swift than we noticed Travis Kelce,” Smith, 56, mentioned on the September 16 episode of ESPN’s First Take, the day after Kelce solely had one catch in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals. “On a Sunday afternoon. Some other time, that’s relevant. That ain’t speculated to occur yesterday. You’re speculated to see extra Travis Kelce yesterday than we noticed of her. That’s not occurring.”

Smith continued, “Come on now. Soccer season is right here. Honeymoon’s over. Let’s deal with our enterprise, OK?”

Whoopi Goldberg

On the flip facet of the coin, Whoopi Goldberg chastised opinions like these expressed by McShay, Francesa and Smith, criticizing any parallel being drawn between Kelce’s girlfriend and his stat line.

“They apparently forgot that [the Chiefs] received the Tremendous Bowl final 12 months with him they usually had been simply as tight then as they’re now,” Goldberg, 68, mentioned of Kelce and Swift on The View’s September 24 episode. “What’s going on?”

Goldberg concluded the Scorching Subjects section by trying straight into the digicam and saying, “Develop up, y’all. Develop up. Cease placing this on her. Your crew is ok. Your crew is doing effectively. Shut up!”

Patrick Mahomes 

Following the Chiefs 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on September 22, by which Kelce had 4 receptions for 30 yards, his star quarterback helped clarify the statistical conundrum.

“The respect issue they’ve for Travis is simply unreal,” Patrick Mahomes mentioned throughout his postgame press convention. “It’s well-deserved. However I imply, we’re calling a number of performs for Travis and it’s like two or three persons are going to him.”

Mahomes continued, “He understands. I believe that’s the wonderful thing about him. He needs to make an affect on the sport, however he needs to win on the finish of the day. I’m going to attempt to maintain doing my greatest to maintain feeding him the ball at any time when he’s there, at any time when he’s open.”

By way of the primary three video games of the season, Mahomes has focused Kelce solely 12 instances. 

Matt Nagy

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was as level-headed as his quarterback when it got here to Kelce’s begin.

“He is aware of who he’s,” Nagy, 46, mentioned in a press convention on September 19. “We all know who he’s. When you could have that, it’s necessary to know that.”

Nagy boasted, “It’s only a matter of time.”

Donna Kelce

Kelce’s mom was requested about her son’s efficiency whereas she hit the city to help his function within the new FX sequence Grotesquerie.

Donna Kelce admitted it had been “powerful” to see all the destructive feedback within the first month of the season.

“I don’t assume they notice the stress that persons are underneath, whether or not they’re athletes or professionals which can be in entrance of the digicam,” Donna, 71, instructed Individuals on the present’s premiere on September 24. “It’s simply very troublesome, there’s a number of issues occurring behind the scenes.”

Donna added, “You don’t notice what number of instances persons are attempting to maintain you from catching the ball, or attempting to journey you up or hit you…so it’s kinda arduous while you’ve acquired individuals which can be in your face 24/7.”

Travis Kelce

Maybe most significantly, Kelce himself has managed to let all the outrage and concern about his receiving yards and touchdowns roll off his again — as a result of he realized to deal with different issues some time again. 

“I ended caring about stats about 4 or 5 years in the past,” he instructed brother Jason on their “New Heights” podcast September 18. “I simply went on the market and began to play free and play for my guys. Positive sufficient, I believe that’s the higher mentality. You consider it extra play by play and what your job is on that particular play.”

Nonetheless, Kelce isn’t resistant to with the ability to discover fault in his personal sport. He’s simply realized to be extra rational about it. 

“I’m not about to sit down right here and get pissed off about it,” he continued. “I used to get actually, actually pissed off and virtually lose my cool a number of the time from not having that success realizing I demand that out of myself. I identical to to play the sport to such a excessive degree of accountability that it’s powerful for me to take care of me being mediocre or having stats that characterize that.”

Kelce and the Chiefs return to motion on Sunday, September 29 in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers.