Travis Kelce admits he ‘slipped a little bit’ given off-field pursuits

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is the first to admit that his past two seasons haven’t been up to par.
His statistics — while impressive — back that up when considering the standard Kelce set in his previous seven Pro Bowl seasons.
As the world knows, Kelce’s life has been in a brighter spotlight given his highly publicized love story with the biggest pop star on the planet — you’ve likely heard of her. Taylor Swift.
Kelce, 35, also has made cameos in movies and television shows and kept busy with other off-field pursuits, such as his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason.
To that respect, the certain future Pro Football Hall of Fame member told GQ that some of that has impacted his play.
“I think it might have slipped a little bit because I did have a little bit more focus in trying to set myself up. And opportunities came up where I was excited to venture into a new world of acting and being an entertainer,” Kelce told the men’s magazine in a cover story released Tuesday.
“I don’t say this as ‘I shouldn’t have done it.’ I’m just saying that my work ethic is such that I have so much pride in how I do things that I never want the product to tail off, and I feel like these past two years haven’t been to my standard.”
Kelce posted seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2016-22 before falling short of that mark in each of the past two. The four-time first-team All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl selection made 97 receptions for 823 yards last season — his lowest yardage total since 2014. He also had just three touchdown catches, down from a career-high 12 in 2022.
“I just have such a motivation to show up this year for my guys,” Kelce said.
Kelce will have that opportunity when the Chiefs open their season at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5.