Travis Kelce’s Mom Sends Fiery Message to Those Criticizing Her Son’s Slow Start

It’s evident three games into the 2024 season, something isn’t quite right with Kanas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The 34-year-old All-Pro has just eight catches for 69 yards with zero touchdowns (he had 17 receptions, 155 yards and two touchdowns through his first three games last season), and many are blaming his high-profile romance with pop superstar Taylor Swift for distracting him from his NFL career.

While most media pundits are spending their time ripping Kelce at every turn, his mother Donna took some time to set the record straight at the New York City premiere of “Grotesquerie,” a 10-episode horror dram on FX in which Kelce has a small acting role, about why her son’s critics are being too harsh on him without knowing the full story.

“You know, I don’t think they realize the pressure that people are under, whether they’re athletes or professionals that are in front of the camera,” Donna told People.com. “And it’s just very difficult, there’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes.

“…It’s kind of hard when you’ve got people that are in your face 24/7.”

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Grammy award winning artist Taylor Swift watches Kansas City Chiefs take the field along with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) mom Donna Kelce prior to the game against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

William Purnell-Imagn Images

People have been quick to suggest that Kelce’s relationship with Swift has negatively impacted his NFL career. The couple started dating last year, which was the first time since 2016 Kelce didn’t have 1,000 yards receiving, snapping a seven-year run.

He’s also taken some heat in recent weeks for the many public appearances he and Swift have made. The Grammy-winning pop star attended the Chiefs’ season opener against the Baltimore Ravens three weeks ago, and the couple were spotted 24 hours later on a dinner date at New York City pizza place Lucali.

The day after that, the duo attended a wedding together and they were spotted not long after that they were seen at the U.S. Open tennis championship, and a video of them singing along to The Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” went viral on social media.

Though it’s unlikely that Swift has anything to do with the perceived dip in Kelce’s on-field performance, it is noteworthy that his stats aren’t quite on par with what they were pre-2023.