Travis Kelce is showing signs of the inevitable wear that comes with a lengthy career in professional football. While it’s normal for an athlete’s performance to evolve over time, some fans are suggesting that Kelce‘s recent dip in production could be tied to distractions off the field – particularly his high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
The dating rumors began circulating in the fall of 2023, and they caught fire when Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game alongside Kelce’s mom, Donna.
The Chiefs dominated that game against the Chicago Bears with a 41-10 win, but fans argue that Kelce’s production began to dip around the time Swift’s presence at games became more frequent. However, the notion that Kelce‘s slight statistical decline is linked to his relationship with Swift may not hold up under scrutiny.
Before Swift entered the picture, Kelce had already secured two Super Bowl titles. By the time she attended her first game in 2023, he was well into his career as one of the NFL’s top tight ends.
That year ended on a high note with Kelce securing his third Super Bowl victory. However, when comparing the numbers from his first ten seasons to his performance over the last two years, a subtle decline is evident.
Kelce still sees nearly the same number of targets per game and maintains a similar rate of receptions, but his average yardage per catch has decreased, and his touchdowns have also dropped.
Kelce’s stats
According to The Sporting News, Over the 2013-2022 seasons, Kelce played in 144 games, with 1,146 targets, 814 receptions, 10,344 receiving yards, and 69 touchdowns. This breaks down to an average of 8.0 targets, 5.65 receptions, 71.83 receiving yards, and 0.48 touchdowns per game.
Meanwhile, from 2023 to 2024, he played 18 games with 133 targets, 101 receptions, 1,053 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 targets, 5.6 receptions, 58.5 receiving yards, and 0.28 touchdowns per game.
Although there is a slight regression in Kelce‘s performance over the last two years, this could be attributed to various factors, including age and a natural career evolution, rather than just his relationship with Swift.
