It seems nobody talks about Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce these days without mentioning his girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift.
Kelce and Swift’s relationship has been front-and-center since they started dating, and Kelce seemingly answers almost as many questions about the “Fortnight” singer as he does about his football career.
The 10-time Pro Bowler and 14-time Grammy winner have been nearly inseparable during the NFL offseason as they took time out of the spotlight to spend quality time together and avoid showing up on the tabloids.
That brief hiatus ended a few weeks ago with the couple having a lot more public date nights recently.
Many believe the amount of attention his relationship gets from the public plus him venturing into entertainment with hosting duties on "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?" and his minor television and film roles in "Grotesquerie" and "Happy Gilmore 2," has taken away Kelce's 100% focus away from football, which is something he recently stated during an appearance on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast is part of what he regrets most about last season.
Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“I think last year, and really the past three years, I've had a lot of attention on taking a step away from football to figure out what I'm doing afterwards and make sure I set that up and I'm setting myself up for the future,” Kelce stated.
“I've kind of always had that mentality in the offseason, but I took on bigger projects. This year, I kind of put all that to the side and I'm like, ‘Man, I'm going into the last year of my contract, 13th year...I'm going to make this dream that I've always had the best it's ever been.’
“I think I failed last year in a lot of different ways for my guys on the field, in terms of being a leader and being prepared and ready to rock. [But] I'm motivated to be accountable for the guys man.”
Some fans have pointed to the start of Kelce's romance with Swift, which started in the fall of 2023, as the beginning of when he started planning for life after football and gearing more toward becoming an media and entertainment star.
While many believe Kelce’s 2025 offseason has been solely focused on avoiding the public eye, he maintains it’s been about training and coming in for next season in a good headspace and excellent physical shape (he’s lost a reported 25 pounds from last season).
“I think the biggest thing is you kind of refocus on where your attention is in the offseason,” Kelce stated, alluding to being more focused on football and less about fame and life after the NFL during the 2025 season.
"When I looked at the year in review and how I got ready for the year, it's not to say that I was doing it wrong ... you have to focus a little bit more on the preparation and being there and being ready, and then throughout the week you've got to have more of a plan to get back to 100%."
A more focused and motivated Kelce is a good sign for Chiefs fans.
Though he still ranked third in receptions (97) and targets (131), and fifth in receiving yards (823) among TEs last season, per Pro Football Focus, Kelce put up career-worsts in yards and touchdowns (three).