“I don’t know what she’s going to do. I know she owns a couple private jets, and that is very convenient for getting to things, I’ve learned. So, if she wants to be here, I’m sure she has the logistical means to make that happen,” Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins had said about the possibility of Taylor Swift’s attendance in their game against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Taylor had the time too. She has a break from her Eras tour till October 18. Even then, fans had to be disappointed.
The 14-time Grammy winner was nowhere to be seen at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on September 23 in the Chiefs’ first away game of the season. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce’s misery continues. In Kansas City’s 22-17 victory over Atlanta, Kelce had four receptions for 30 yards. This season, the nine-time Pro Bowler has only eight receptions for 69 yards and zero touchdowns through the first three games. And who does not know how, in the last season, Kelce shone when Taylor was present in the Stadium?
Kelce had 89 catches for 1,039 yards (79.9 yards per game) and five touchdowns with the ‘Maroon’ singer watching him. During those games, he averaged 11.7 yards per reception. While in Taylor’s absence, Kelce had 36 catches for 300 yards (50 yards per game) and three touchdowns. That adds up to 8.2 yards per reception. So as the Chiefs continue their preparation for the Chargers clash in Los Angeles, the obvious question is doing the rounds. Will Taylor be there in the SoFi Stadium for the Week 4 game?
Well, Taylor has good reasons to attend the game. One personal and one for the sake of the team.
Last season, the Chiefs were 10-3 when Taylor attended the games. This season as well, they are 2-0 in her presence. On a personal front, Taylor performed in the SoFi Stadium in six sold-out Eras Tour concerts and announced “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” in August 2023. However, on the flipside (let’s party it’s not repeated this year), The Tortured Poets Department’s creator had missed the Chiefs-Chargers game at SoFi Stadium due to the Grammy Awards on January 7. But you have every reason not ‘to calm down’! There is a chance of Taylor attending!
One aide close to Taylor revealed, “she plans to return to the next game to support Travis. They talked on the phone before the game and after the game, too. She wanted to congratulate him on the win!” Meanwhile, the reason for her not attending the Falcons game has been revealed.
While Kelce was struggling on the field, Taylor was noticed in New York City with her close friend Gigi Hadid. They had reportedly grabbed a meal at The Corner Store restaurant while enjoying a girls’ night out. Even a close aide from Taylor shed light on her uncalled absence from the game in Atlanta.
“Going to the game in Atlanta wasn’t possible because she had scheduled time with some friends, like Gigi Hadid. Whom she spent time with on the weekend, and other friends that she hasn’t seen in a while,” shared an insider. Evidently, the explanation had to come out since the anticipation of finding Taylor in the games has been sickening. However, Taylor herself seems to have little to do with the madness.
“You have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. I’m just there to support Travis,” Taylor had said TIME magazine in December last year. We get that. It is evident from Taylor’s repeated presence in the last season, attending 13 of the Chiefs games, including watching them win their second consecutive Super Bowl on February 11. While we pray for her presence for the sake of Kelce’s performance at least, let’s hear what Kelce has to say about his lackluster performance so far.
Travis Kelce opening up on his struggles this season
When a player like Kelce is experiencing a tough time on the field, people like to gossip about the possible reasons behind it. And one of the reasons Kelce did not perform to his best could be due to the undue pressure he has to face just because of his association with Taylor Swift. Remember, What the Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III had said before game 3?
“Once that clock ticks and we in between those lines, you know, I see red sometimes. I might say some crazy stuff to him. It may involve Taylor [Swift, or] it may not, but it’s just part of the game — talking your little smack,” Bates had said in the September 20 episode of the Pacman Jones Show. However, Kelce has since denied those allegations while questioning his abilities.
“I think this year stats may say something different, but at the same time you’ll see the same person inside this building, and that’s all I really care about. I’m my own worst critic.” Despite all that, Kelce’s performance has so far been underwhelming this year.
He’s second on Kansas City in targets, his 12 are 17 fewer than wide receiver Rashee Rice. He’s third in yards. But he has not yet crossed even the 70-yard threshold. Four other Chiefs have touchdowns while he has none. Let’s take a look at where Kelce stands Among all NFL tight ends to log a target this season:
- Targets: T-13th
- Receptions: T-14th
- Yards: 21st
- Yards per reception: T-47th
- Fantasy points: T-27th
“I think everyone saw my drop in the fourth quarter and the crucial third down, just trying to do too much before putting the ball away. And that’s probably the biggest thing for me is making the play in big-time moments like that. I think with how defenses are playing us right now, I’m not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field, but not using that as an excuse,” Kelce said in the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce.
While Travis Kelce appears to criticize himself, he maintains trust in his homie Patrick Mahomes, “I got all the trust in Patrick Mahomes to make the right decision, and he’s been making great decisions.” With the Chiefs’ TE struggling to put on numbers, WR Rashee Rice has been a revelation for the Chiefs offense. After three games into the season, Rice has caught 12 catches for 110 yards, alongside one touchdown.
Even backup TE Noah Grey has racked up four catches for 50 yards as Kelce appears to praise the two, “I love the way Rashee’s been playing. He’s fun to play with, and he’s one of my favorite guys in the building. We put more trust in Noah.” But can Kelce find his rhythm back in a season where the Chiefs are chasing an unprecedented 3-peat? For now, we can only hope that Swift makes her return which might also bring about the version Kelce was in the previous season.
