Travis Kelce will be 'true' to himself after criticizing Taylor Swift's relationship

NFL star Travis Kelce plans to stay true to himself despite criticism of his relationship with the pop star Taylor Swiftwhom 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 handle criticism of his football career.

The NFL star had a slow start to the season, with critics blaming his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift. Although The Eras Tour ended in December 2024, Kelce had traveled to several different countries over the summer to see her perform. Notably, he was absent during her last Canadian tour.

During the performance on The Stephen A. Smith Show On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Kelce said, “You have to be true to yourself,” when discussing criticism of her relationship with the “Look What You Made Me Do” singer.

“People say things (and) you have to be able to reflect and look at yourself and see, ‘Why are they saying these things?’ I’m still playing at a high level knowing all that,” he continued. “We won football games, and that's all I ever cared about, and besides, this building knew how hard I worked and how focused I was on football all year long.

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

Kelce insisted he was “focused” on winning at home, insisting, “I'm as focused as I've ever been on being the best player I can be every week. for this team.”

“It's because I don't have to worry about things off the court,” he added, apparently referring to his relationship with Taylor Swift.

Between a cameo on “Happy Gilmore 2” and “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” driving Travis Kelce is currently the world leader. “I'm definitely enjoying all aspects of life,” Kelce said during the interview. “Taylor and I are happy and I couldn't be happier to have that confidence and comfort off the field and all the support I could ask for in the stadium.”

“I think personally the beauty of having 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, support her and be there for her, to make her feel comfortable and support her in everything she does in life.”

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

“A person changes every day,” Kelce said. “I love everything I do in this building. But at the end of the day, I don't have the extraordinary success on the field that I have individually. I'm excited for these next few games at Arrowhead to finish off this season.

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

He continued: “As long as I come out here and play good football and enjoy coming into the building with my guys every day, you're going to see me in a Chiefs uniform.”

While she's taking a break from touring after The Eras Tour, it seems so Taylor Swift is not taking a break from music. While some fans have speculated that she wants to settle down and start a family, Kelce revealed that Swift has “absolutely encouraged” him to “enjoy the game” and pursue a football career.

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

Many fans are looking forward to Taylor Swift cheering on Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium in the first playoff game of the season on January 18th.