Getty Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs are hard at work looking to get back in the win column when they face the New England Patriots in Week 15.
While Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce would’ve loved to celebrate Taylor Swift‘s birthday in New York City, he can’t skip mandatory practice. After Kelce understandably missed Swift’s star-studded party, Entertainment Tonight shared a report that made NFL analysts cringe.
The outlet spoke to “a source” that said Kelce “remains committed to playing his best and doing his best on and off the field. The team practices are critical, mandatory to attend, and something he takes very seriously. So, it’s no surprise he stayed in Kansas City ahead of this weekend’s game.”
ESPN’s Pat McAfee posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “A source tells ET that Travis Kelce is in the NFL.” The MMBQ’s Albert Breer wrote, “This is an absolutely hilarious update for a ton of reasons. Also, I’d love to see an NFL coach’s reaction to a player asking if he could travel cross-country for a birthday party on Thursday of a game week. I think I’ve got a pretty decent idea of how that would go.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport commented, “This is the best source quote ever. “Please don’t use my name, but practice is important. (probably).” The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach wrote, “My favorite part of this entire relationship is watching outlets like Entertainment Tonight learn about sports schedules.”
Barstool Sports’ Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz commented, “I’d love to talk to the author of this story, who spent all afternoon talking to sources on whether or not NFL practice is mandatory and important.”
Taylor Swift Understands Travis Kelce’s Work Commitments
GettyTaylor Swift at Lambeau Field on December 03, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Swift, who’s spent the past year traveling the continent with her sold-out “Eras” tour, understands what it’s like to a have a demanding schedule. Based on her comments to Time, she enjoys having a partner who’s just as dedicated to their work.
The 12-time Grammy winner has attended six Chiefs games this season. “I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she explained. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”
The “Blank Space” singer is also loving the game. “Football is awesome, it turns out,” Swift said. “I’ve been missing out my whole life.”
Unfortunately for Swift, Kelce’s schedule doesn’t get any easier over the next four weeks. Not only the do the Chiefs play on Christmas Day, but they also have a game on New Year’s Eve. Both matchups are home games at Arrowhead. Once the playoffs start, things only get more intense.
One person who intimately understands Kelce’s unforgiving schedule, his mother, Donna Kelce. She told People of managing Travis and Jason Kelce’s game days, “Ever since they were in college, we’ve always been on the road for [holidays],” she said.
“It’s either been in Cincinnati when they were at the University of Cincinnati or we’re at one of their homes. So I’ve never been in my own home cooking for Christmas or for holidays. I mean that’s the life of being a mom for the NFL. It’s always work so you have to kind of go where they are.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Confirmed Taylor Swift was Not a Distraction
GettyChiefs tight end Travis Kelce (L) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (R) on September 11, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Kelce’s focus hasn’t shift since he started dating Swift, nor has the singer’s presence affected the team’s performance. “I don’t think it feels any different,” Mahomes told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington last month.
“People see the whole Taylor Swift and Travis and they make it a huge deal because it is a huge deal. I think it becomes a bigger deal to the fanbases than it does to the guys that are actually in the building.
“I’ve been lucky enough to meet Taylor and see how good of a person she is. I think you understand why it’s not become a distraction or anything like that, because everybody cares about being the best they can be every day.”
After Kansas City suffered their fourth loss in the past six games against the Buffalo Bills last week, Kelce remains fully confident the offense will get back on track.
“It’s my livelihood to keep this kind of mentality throughout the season,” Kelce said on the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “I just wanted to make sure that Chiefs Kingdom, everybody knows that we have everybody we need here, and we’re going to get it fixed.”