Travis Kelce To Be ‘True’ To Himself After Taylor Swift Relationship Criticism

NFL star Travis Kelce plans to stay true to himself despite criticism of his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, who he has been dating publicly since September 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end had a slow start to the season, which many attributed to his presence at Swift’s international shows on The Eras Tour. Kelce recently explained why he wanted to be there to support the “So High School” singer in person and how he plans to address the criticism of his football career.

The NFL star had a slow start to the season, which critics blamed on his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift. Although The Eras Tour came to an end in December 2024, Kelce had traveled to several different countries over the summer in order to see her perform. Notably, he was absent during her very last tour date in Canada.

During an appearance on the Stephen A. Smith show on Wednesday, January 15, Kelce said, “You have to be true to yourself” when discussing the criticism of his relationship with the “Look What You Made Me Do” singer.

“People are saying things [and] you’ve got to be able to reflect and look at yourself and see, ‘Why are they saying these things?’ I was still playing at a high level knowing all that,” he continued. “We were winning football games, which is all I ever care about and, on top of that, this building knew how hard I worked and how much focus I have on football throughout the year.”

On Saturday, January 18, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Houston Texans in the first playoff game of the season. A win will give the team a chance to play in the conference championship and the possibility of another Super Bowl win.

Kelce insisted that he is “focused” on bringing home the win yet again, insisting, “I’m as focused as I’ve ever been on my job and being the best player that I could possibly be week-in-week-out for this team.”

“It’s because I don’t have to worry about things off the field,” he added, seemingly addressing his relationship with Taylor Swift.

Between a cameo in “Happy Gilmore 2” and hosting “Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?”, Travis Kelce is on top of the world right now. “I’m enjoying all aspects of life that’s for d-mn sure,” Kelce said during the interview. “Me and Taylor are happy and I couldn’t be happier to have that confidence and that comfort off the field and all the support I could ever ask for in the stadium.”

“I think, personally, the beauty of being in a very strong relationship is that you get that support to be able to come in and focus on your craft, focus on being the best version of you,” he continued. “That’s why I wanted to be at [her] concerts supporting her and being there for her, making sure she feels comfortable and supported in everything she’s doing in life.”

In October, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end will be turning 36. Considering his highly successful podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, and his extracurricular activities off the field, many are wondering if he is considering retirement.

“It changes every single day man,” Kelce said. “I love everything that I’m doing in this building. But at the end of the day, I’m not having that extreme success on the field as I have individually man. I’m excited for these next couple games to play up at Arrowhead, to finish this season off.”

“I’ll reevaluate it as I always do. And I’ll probably tell myself how much I love this thing and I’ll come back next year,” he continued. “It’s something you have to keep in perspective man. I never want to get to the point where I’m not helping this team win or I’m hurting this team more than I’m helping this team.”

He went on to say, “As long as I’m coming out here and playing good football and enjoying coming into the building every day with my guys, you’ll see me in a Chiefs uniform.”

While she is taking a break from touring after The Eras Tour, it seems that Taylor Swift is not taking a break from music. Although some fans have speculated that she wants to settle down and start a family, Kelce revealed that Swift has “fully encouraged” him to “enjoy playing this game” and continue his football career.

“’She loves coming to Arrowhead and coming to the games and cheering for me. I have all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams,” he said.

Many fans are looking forward to seeing Taylor Swift cheer on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium during the first playoff game of the season on January 18.