Kansas Metropolis Chiefs star tight finish Travis Kelce is the primary to confess that his previous two seasons haven’t been as much as par. His statistics, whereas nonetheless spectacular, again that up when contemplating the usual Kelce set in his earlier seven Professional Bowl seasons.
Because the world is aware of, Kelce’s life has been in a brighter highlight given his extremely publicized relationship with Taylor Swift – you’ve doubtless heard of her – and a slate of off-field ventures. The 35-year-old has hosted Saturday Night time Stay, landed a task in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie, appeared in Comfortable Gilmore 2 alongside Adam Sandler, and brought on a internet hosting gig for Amazon’s Are You Smarter Than a Superstar? He additionally retains busy with the New Heights podcast he co-hosts along with his brother, Jason, the place Swift this week introduced her new album.
To that respect, the sure future Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer informed GQ in a canopy story launched Tuesday that a few of these pursuits might have impacted his play.
“I feel it may need slipped slightly bit as a result of I did have slightly bit extra focus in attempting to set myself up,” Kelce stated. “And alternatives got here up the place I used to be excited to enterprise into a brand new world of appearing and being an entertainer.”
He was fast to emphasize he doesn’t remorse taking up these alternatives. “I don’t say this as ‘I shouldn’t have performed it,’” Kelce stated. “I’m simply saying that my work ethic is such that I’ve a lot delight in how I do issues that I by no means need the product to tail off, and I really feel like these previous two years haven’t been to my normal.”
Kelce posted seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2016 by means of 2022 earlier than falling in need of that mark in every of the previous two. The four-time first-team All-Professional and 10-time Professional Bowl choice made 97 receptions for 823 yards final season – his lowest yardage whole since 2014 – and had simply three landing catches, down from a career-high 12 in 2022.
The Chiefs’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl final February nonetheless lingers for him. “I simply have such a motivation to indicate up this 12 months for my guys,” Kelce stated.
As for what comes subsequent when his NFL profession ends, Kelce isn’t solely positive. “I don’t essentially know if I’ll take it and run with it once I’m performed taking part in,” he informed GQ. “However I do know that I wish to keep across the soccer world as a occupation after which dabble in different areas as properly.”
Kelce additionally addressed the fixed consideration surrounding his relationship with Swift, who was a daily at Chiefs video games final season. “At any time when I’m along with her, we’re simply common individuals,” he stated. “When there may be not a digicam on us, we’re simply two individuals which are in love. It may be perceived as one thing else due to how a lot it’s talked about and the way a lot we’re tracked at any time when we do exit, however I might say that it’s as regular of … it occurred very organically although from a media standpoint it was being tracked.”
He added: “Nothing I’ve ever performed has been a managed, organized course of. Once I say it was so natural, we fell in love simply primarily based off the individuals we had been sitting in a room along with. We’re two fun-loving individuals who have the morals to understand everybody for who they’re. We share all these values. It sort of simply took the fuck off.”
Kelce can have the prospect to show his renewed focus when the Chiefs open their season at house in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers on 5 September.
