The NFL could be on its way to banning members of the media from team locker rooms over player privacy concerns.
The NFLPA urged the league earlier this month to move interviews outside the locker room and called for a restriction on reporters mingling with players in the locker room.
The NFLPA said locker room interviews were an invasion of players’ privacy and urged members of the media to seek interviews outside the locker room during the week – something some stars have already begun to exercise their right to do .
However, it seems there is one player in particular whose privacy they are trying to protect.
Travis Kelce has experienced a new high of fame over the past year, with the Kansas City Chiefs star’s popularity soaring amid his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift.
The NFL could implement a new rule to protect Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
The NFLPA urged the media to conduct player interviews outside the locker room
But its increasing popularity comes at a price. The tight end has faced a new wave of attention and criticism, with Kelce and Swift’s romance dominating headlines.
And while Kelce already had significant celebrity status as one of the league’s biggest stars, the potential ban on locker room interviews would be a new rule to protect him, according to Radar.
“While reporters will still have access to players for interviews, the locker room will no longer be part of the equation,” a source reportedly told the outlet. ‘Instead, interviews will now be conducted in separate, designated areas, with each team determining the location.’
The source further claimed that while the league insists it’s about protecting all its players, “everyone knows it has to protect Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.”
It’s a policy that the players and the NFLPA have been calling for for some time, but the insider claimed that “no one believes it’s a mere coincidence that the new rules are being implemented now.”
Swift and Kelce have been dating for just over a year and their love story is taking the NFL world by storm, with the pop superstar regularly making blockbuster appearances at his Chiefs games, including last season’s Super Bowl.
Reporters regularly mingle with players in the locker room on game days and practice days, putting members of the media in close contact with athletes thanks to media policies that the players’ association called “outdated.”
Earlier this month, Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras revealed that players being caught naked on camera is one of the reasons the NFL wants to close locker rooms to the media.
Ted Karras has revealed that players being caught naked on camera is one of the reasons the NFL wants to close locker rooms to the media
Earlier this week, Bengals star Karras explained that a number of players were caught naked while interviews were being recorded.
“As you’ve heard from a few teams now and the NFLPA is going to come out with a statement, in an effort to protect the sanctity of the locker room and the comfort of the players, each team is going to come up with a solution program where we will have our interviews out of the locker room,” said Karras, the team’s union representative.
‘This doesn’t lock you out of the dressing room. We can’t do that. But what we want to do is take cameras off guys in private moments in our locker room.
“What it actually brought to light was a few men who were naked on camera this year. It’s happened a few times in the history of the league.”
However, Kelce revealed on his podcast, New Heights, after the NFLPA’s statement that he never had a problem with the locker room interviews.
He discussed the matter with his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, who made a hilarious revelation.
“This is something guys have been talking about for a long time,” Jason began. ‘But for those of you who don’t know, after games or training there’s a period where media members can go in and talk to players, interview them, ask them what happened in the game, what’s going on this week the hand is.’
At that point, Travis interjected and said, “And meat-watching!” causing both brothers to chuckle.
Travis and Jason Kelce weighed in on the NFLPA’s attempt to keep reporters out of locker rooms on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast
Reporters regularly mingle with players in the locker room on game day and practice days
“I don’t think that’s why they’re in there, but that’s what they say,” Jason said.
He continued, “I’m not going to lie… it’s a little weird having people in there, but I never minded that.
“Listen, my dick is low on the totem pole, I don’t impress anyone and I don’t do anything. If you want to watch it, go for it, be my guest.
‘It won’t impress you. It’s efficient, it gets the job done, especially making girls (a reference to his three daughters). But I never cared, never thought about it, and never noticed anyone staring at it.”
Travis then gave his true thoughts on the situation, explaining, “I’ve never had a problem with it.
“I think it’s even encouraged by the NFL to be dressed up. I don’t think they encourage you to be naked.’