Travis Kelce’s mom breaks her silence on criticism of Chiefs star’s performances so far this season
Travis Kelce’s mother Donna has broken her silence amid mounting criticism of his performance for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kelce struggled again on Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons, leading some NFL analysts and fans to question whether he should retire.
The Georgia tight end’s poor performance followed similar performances against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals in the opening weeks of the NFL season.
His girlfriend Taylor Swift, who attended her first Chiefs game exactly one year ago on Tuesday, was also absent from the game in Atlanta, despite being there for the first two.
But Donna Kelce, 71, stresses that her son’s treatment is harsh and “difficult” to watch.
Travis Kelce’s mother has broken her silence on mounting criticism of his performances
Donna Kelce spoke at the premiere of her son’s new FX horror series ‘Grotesquerie’
Speaking at the premiere of Kelce’s FX series ‘Grotesquerie,’ which launches Wednesday, she told PEOPLE: ‘It’s tough, it really is.
‘You know, I don’t think they realize the pressure that people are under, whether they’re athletes or professionals, being in front of the camera. And it’s just really hard, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
“You don’t realize how many times people are trying to stop you from catching the ball, or trying to trip you or hit you… so it’s pretty tough when you have people in your path 24/7.”
Analysts and fans are adamant that Kelce is headed for retirement after his last performance continued the worst form of his NFL career.
Kelce, who was caught on TV cameras looking particularly miserable on the sidelines in a clip that went viralhad just four catches for 30 yards in Atlanta if his The slow start to the season continued.
NBC lead analyst Cris Collinsworth admitted he was “baffled” by Kelce on Sunday night after watching him struggle so much in Week 1 against the Ravens.
Kelce had four catches for 30 yards in Atlanta as his slow start to the season continued
He said in commentary: ‘I’m just stunned. I mean, one game, big deal. Two games, okay.
“This is the third game now where we haven’t seen the magic of (Patrick) Mahomes and Kelce, and I can’t really explain that last one.”
Rodney Harrison, another NBC analyst, blamed Kelce’s recent disappointing performances on his other commitments.
He said, ‘He’s busy. He’s got a lot on his mind. Think about it. He’s doing a lot of different things. Media-wise, he’s playing football, he’s got other things to do.
‘When you are in that situation, you have to forget everything and focus 100 percent on football. That is the most important responsibility.
‘Guys joke about it. Jesse Bates did a great job tonight.
“He (Kelce) just doesn’t have the same speed. He’s still a good player, but I don’t think he’s a great, great player.”