KC Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Staying Focused Amid Taylor Swift Buzz
For as long as Taylor Swift is attending Kansas City Chiefs games to watch Travis Kelce play, the football and pop culture worlds will be following one of the league's biggest storylines.
For Kelce, who just celebrated his 34th birthday, his budding relationship with Swift has led to quite a spike in his already stellar popularity. The superstar tight end is gaining fans by the day, and he's even having to deal with paparazzi taking photos near his home. Kelce said on Friday afternoon that he felt "on top of the world" following February's Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but the past few weeks have led to him somehow ascending even higher. He's learning how to deal with this added attention, adding that the focus remains on football.
"We're learning with the paparazzi just taking photos from all over the place," Kelce said. "But at the same time, it comes with it. You've got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason. Just got to keep living and learning and enjoying the moments. At the end of the day, I've always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building. I'll just keep rolling with that, man."
Four games into the season (or three, in Kelce's case), the Chiefs' best pass-catcher is finding his way back to the form he's had for well over half a decade. In addition to being Pro Football Focus' second-highest-graded receiving tight end among those with at least 10 targets, he has 17 receptions for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns. A bone bruise held Kelce out of Kansas City's season opener against the Detroit Lions, but he's looked better and better in the games since. According to him, being in the facility allows him to shut down outside noise and lock in.
"I think it's always been that for me, you know?" Kelce said. "No matter what's going on in my life, good or bad. I think this is one place I can get away and just be locked in and focused, always check myself and my ego at the door and make sure that I come in with a clear mind."
On a recent episode of the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason, Kelce said the NFL is "overdoing" the hype with his and Swift's relationship. His messaging has been consistent all along — he wants his personal life to remain at least somewhat personal but he also wants to have fun and enjoy it — although nothing from the Chiefs' side indicates that it's becoming too much for anyone to handle. With a Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on the horizon, Kelce says his attention is being placed on the same thing as the rest of his teammates.
"Everybody's having fun with it, you know?" Kelce said. "Whether I think they're overdoing it or not, I know I brought this to myself. I've been fortunate enough to have fun with it. That's all that really matters is that it's not pissing anybody off, over here at least. So I'm having fun with it and like I said earlier, I've been pretty good at just compartmentalizing and making sure my focus is always about winning the game. I don't see that changing anytime soon."
