Travis Kelce has openly admitted that he’s not playing his best football this season, acknowledging the challenges he’s faced so far with the Kansas City Chiefs. The star tight end addressed his struggles after a video of him looking downcast on the sidelines during their recent game against the Atlanta Falcons went viral, sparking speculation about his performance and personal life.
During the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis reflected on his performance and the team’s overall start to the season. “We’re finding ways to win games, but we’re not playing our best football,” the 34-year-old tight end admitted. “Everybody can clean it up. I think everyone saw my drop in the fourth quarter with that crucial third down.”
Kelce explained that the drop happened because he was “trying to do too much before putting the ball away,” highlighting a common issue for players when trying to make big plays. He emphasized the importance of focusing on “making the play in big-time moments,” something he’s determined to improve as the season progresses.
He also noted that opposing defenses have been focusing on shutting him down, limiting his chances to make plays down the field. “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. “Moving forward, [I’m] still trying to make sure that I can help the team out in that regard.”
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Despite these challenges, Kelce remains optimistic about the Chiefs’ trajectory, stating that the team is “tweaking their game in the right direction” as they prepare for an important divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
His brother Jason, who retired from the NFL earlier this year, chimed in to provide some insight into how Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are adapting their game plans. He mentioned that both Reid and Mahomes are trying to involve Travis more in the plays, but defenses are making it a priority to “take [Travis] out of the picture.”
Travis responded with his signature optimism, downplaying concerns about his stats and focusing instead on the team’s success. “Whatever it is, it’s football, baby! Come on now, I’m not getting caught up in getting the targets and all that. I just want to have a successful offense, and I think Pat’s doing a great job of finding the open guy and making the right decisions right now,” he said.
Although his individual numbers have been lower than usual—just eight receptions for 69 yards with no touchdowns in the last three games compared to 17 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns by this time last year—Kelce is focused on the bigger picture. He emphasized that the Chiefs are “finding how to have success” and acknowledged that the team will experience “ups and downs” throughout the season.
“You just wanna make sure that you clean up all the mistakes, that you’re making sure you’re communicating, so everybody understands exactly where we’re going moving forward,” Kelce said, crediting Coach Reid and Mahomes for their leadership in keeping the team on track.
Jason, understanding his brother’s frustration, pointed out that it’s natural for Travis to feel some disappointment when he can’t get open for catches or make big plays. Travis, however, made it clear that he’s not worried about the numbers, saying, “I’ve had a lot of catches in this league, man. I’m not worried about the catches and the yards and all of that. I have the most fun when I get the ball thrown my way, I mean, who doesn’t? But it has everything to do with execution and just making sure we’re doing whatever we can to win these football games, man, and that’s always gonna be the goal.”
Kelce concluded on a positive note, expressing confidence in the Chiefs’ future despite his personal challenges. “As long as we keep winning football games, we’re good to go, baby!” he said, echoing the sentiment that team success matters more than individual stats.
The viral video of Kelce looking disheartened on the sidelines sparked fan theories, with some suggesting that his demeanor was due to his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, not being present at the game. Others pointed to his relatively slow start to the season as a possible source of frustration. However, Kelce’s remarks made it clear that his focus is on improving his game and helping the Chiefs maintain their winning ways.
With the Chiefs standing at 3-0, the road ahead will present more challenges, but Kelce’s resolve to get back to his best form remains unshaken as he looks forward to the rest of the season.
