Angry Swifties have hit out at NFL analyst Rodney Harrison after he attributed Travis Kelce’s recent underperformance for the Kansas City Chiefs to his other commitments.
The reigning Super Bowl champions continued their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 run by beating the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 on Sunday night.
But it was another quiet night for Kelce, whose girlfriend Taylor Swift missed the game, as cameras captured him in a viral clip looking particularly miserable on the sidelines.
Kelce had just four catches for 30 yards in Atlanta and continued his strategy an unusually slow start to the season for the 34-year-old as he hopes to add a fourth Super Bowl ring – and the third in a row – to his collection in 2024.
Harrison, who worked for NBC, was sharp in his criticism of Kelce after the game, saying, “He’s busy. He’s busy.
Angry Swifties respond to NFL analyst Rodney Harrison’s criticism of Travis Kelce
Kelce had just four catches for 30 yards in Atlanta, continuing his slow start to the year
“Just think about it. He does a lot of different things. Media-wise, he plays football, he has 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.”
The comments sparked angry reactions from some of Swift’s loyal fans, who defended the Chiefs tight end on social media.
One of them posted: ‘This is such a bullshit talking point. Because if you actually listened to Trav he would be 150% fixated on football.
“Outside of the podcast (which he films on his day off), we don’t see him. All the “stuff” you see him involved in is done during the off-season. I’m tired.”
Another tagged Harrison in their post, writing: ‘@Rodney_Harrison I see you have a family but what I don’t see is you saying your wife is distracting you from work. Keep Travis’ personal life out of the game or put your own life in it.’
“That’s not possible. Travis stays late at the facility to do more reps and they decide to say that,” added a third Swiftie.
Other fans blamed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid for not getting Kelce the ball.
One fan said, “And then they start blaming it on his offseason mistakes. No one talks about Mahomes not giving him the ball when he’s open.”
Another added: ‘”He doesn’t have the same speed” and yet he gets open on every play and blocks successfully. I’m done.’
Kelce’s return against the Falcons means he now has just 69 receiving yards through three games, though he did manage to double his reception total to eight.
Mahomes claimed afterward that Kelce’s coverage by opposing defenses made it difficult to get the ball to him.
The quarterback said, “I mean, the respect they have for Travis is still unreal and it’s well deserved.
“We call a lot of plays for Travis and it seems like two or three people go to him.
“He gets it. That’s the beauty of him. He wants to make an impact on the game, but he ultimately wants to win.”
‘I’m going to do my best to keep giving him the ball when he’s there, when he’s free.
“I think the more Rashee (Rice) plays, the more we can run and the more we can get (Xavier) Worthy involved. I think that frees up Travis.
“People really try to take him away, but it actually makes other guys open up.”
Swift was spotted on a casual night out with BFF Gigi Hadid in New York City on Saturday
Kelce’s latest bad night came after her friend Swift failed to show up to a Chiefs game for the first time this season.
The pop star was nowhere to be seen in Atlanta, despite her schedule off due to a break in her international Eras Tour.
On Saturday, Swift was spotted enjoying a casual night out with best friend Gigi Hadid in New York City. Wearing a plaid miniskirt, the pair grabbed a bite to eat at The Corner Store restaurant in SoHo.
But despite many expecting her to perform in Atlanta, she turned down the opportunity to follow Kelce and Kansas City on tour.
Swift attended the Chiefs’ first two games of the 2024 season, both of which were played in Kansas City.