Travis Kelce has been accused of partying too hard with girlfriend Taylor Swift over the summer.
Until Week 4, the superstar Kansas City Chiefs tight end had not been making the kind of impact fans have come to expect this season.
Kelce and Swift take in the US Open
Some commentators blamed the 34-year-old’s fitness and questioned if he is starting to show signs of age.
“It’s like are we not allowed to say that he’s out of shape, that he’s been partying all offseason? He’s been jet-setting around with the most famous person probably in the entire world, that he’s drinking, going to the US Open,” former ESPN analyst Todd McShay ranted on the Ryan Russillo Podcast.
“What I do know is, I want you to take a picture from preseason 2022 and then take a picture preseason 2024, they’re barely the same human being and everyone’s like, ‘We got to get him the ball, why isn’t he part of the offense? The defense is double-covering.’
“Here’s the thing, bottom line with Kelce – the coverage and the respect he gets is the same, the athlete is not.”
A source close to Swift says that the pop megastar has been shocked by the scrutiny and is determined to help Kelce get in top shape, per Life and Style.
“All the commentators are saying that he partied like a monster during offseason, and he’s only got himself to blame for being out of shape and out of form,” the insider said.
“Taylor and Travis both insist it’s being blown out of proportion, but there’s no doubt Taylor feels a little guilty that it’s gotten to this point because it is true that he spent his offseason living the good life with her.
“Even after training camp he was off his diet and partying with her and her friends because that’s what she wanted to do.
“She’s promised to go on the diet with him for support, at least when they’re together.
“That means all the junk food is out, no sugar, and definitely no drinking.”
Kelce has been accused of being out of shape
Swift is reportedly keen to help out
That verdict is at odds with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid‘s assessment.
“I know people are saying that he’s old or whatever, that he has distractions and all this. The defenses don’t think that,” he said last month.
“We have another receiver opposite him that has a lot of yards and catches. That’s how this thing goes.
“Trav is fine. He just keeps being Trav. He works his tail off and he hasn’t lost a step. He’s not distracted. That’s not the case.”
Kelce had his best game of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4 with a team-high 89 yards.
And he could be heavily involved again in his next outing after Rashee Rice went down injured.
Rice is the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver this season and it was initially feared he was out for the season with a torn ACL.
While recent reports have been more promising, the wideout will not be lining up against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
That will see Kelce need to step up alongside rapid rookie Xavier Worthy, who the tight end praised on the latest episode of the New Heights Podcast.
“We have been running the ball so well these first few weeks,” he said.
“I think the safeties are starting to get their eyes on the backfield and I tell you what, you take your eyes off Xavier Worthy and that guy is gonna be past you in a blink of an eye.
“X came up big later on in the game to seal the game off on the final drive when were trying to run the clock out.
“I can’t say enough about what he’s been for the offense so far and seeing him growing in it, becoming more and more accountable every week.”
The NFL returns to London this weekend, and talkSPORT2 will bring you all three London games over the next three weeks, starting with the Minnesota Vikings against the New York Jets, coverage is underway from 1.30pm on Sunday