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Mike Francesa questions Travis Kelce’s commitment amid recession
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Mike Francesa questions Travis Kelce’s commitment amid recession

Mike Francesa said it would be “stupid” for the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid not to question Travis Kelce’s commitment to football while he’s “traveling the world” with girlfriend Taylor Swift.

During the latest episode of the “Mike Francesa Podcast,” the host discussed how the Chiefs tight end’s performance has declined dramatically, and suggested he may be distracted by fame in his 12th NFL season.

“As an organization and as a coach, you have to ask yourself how committed Kelce is to the game right now,” Francesa said. “He’s got a lot going on in his life. His life has changed dramatically. You see him in commercials, you see him in pictures, you see him now very conscious of how he dresses … and where the paparazzi are and everything else.

Mike Francesa in the stands before the first half of the game between the St. John’s Red Storm and the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“It changed his life. And you wonder, where does football and football preparation come into that story.”

Kelce and Swift, both 34, started dating last summer and went public with their relationship when they stepped out hand-in-hand in New York City in October.

Since then, Kelce has appeared in a number of commercials and TV appearances, as well as the cover of WSJ. Magazine. He will host the upcoming series “Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?” on Amazon.

But Kelce hasn’t had much success on the field early in the 2024 NFL season.

He now has eight catches for 69 yards and zero touchdowns heading into Week 4.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs leaves the court during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in December 2023. X

“When you see safeties rip the ball out of his hands in big moments, when you see him run a lackluster pattern, when you see him be a nonfactor game after game, it’s mind-boggling — but again, how much of that is on him?” Francesa said.

“How much of that is due to his preparation and dedication? And is it fair to close the circle and mention that?”

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024. Brett Davis-Imagn-Images

“… Obviously, at this point in his career, you wonder where he is in his dedication, in his preparation, because his performance has declined dramatically. And it’s not just, ‘Oh, the Chiefs are moving on from Kelce.’ It’s more than that.

“… It’s extremely human. His life has changed. He’s now hopping around the world with one of the most famous people in the world. His life is a photo opportunity.”

Francesa went on to explain that the Chiefs star’s big brother, Jason Kelce, waited until after his NFL retirement in March to focus on his off-field opportunities.

In August, the brothers signed a $100 million deal with Amazon to house their podcast “New Heights.”

“What he has is a conversation piece. He’s doing commercials with his brother who’s not in the sport anymore. His brother can now worry about being a personality and doing commercials and making appearances and doing the podcast because he’s not playing anymore,” Francesa said.

“But nobody expected (Travis) Kelce to not play anymore. And now he’s not playing at all and that just raises some very legitimate questions.”

Travis and Jason Kelce have partnered to launch their own Kelce Mix cereal with General Mills. General mills/Mega

Francesa added that it would be “crazy” to think Kelce’s life off the court hasn’t impacted his game, though he’s not close enough to the situation to know for sure.

“But how much does that mean to the Chiefs who just keep finding a way (to win close games against the Ravens and Bengals),” he said.

Kelce played little role in the Chiefs’ third straight win to start the season.

The three-time Super Bowl champion, who was limited in the passing game in Kansas City’s first two victories, finished with four catches on five targets for 30 yards in the Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday night.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift arrive at the SNL Afterparty in New York City on October 15, 2023. GC images

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is Kelce’s best friend off the field, explained that the nine-time Pro Bowler is less open because teams are putting the emphasis on Kelce.

“It’s crazy because teams still have — the respect they have for Travis is just unreal. It’s well-deserved,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s win over Atlanta. “We call a lot of plays for Travis and it’s like two or three people go to him. He understands — that’s the great thing about him, he wants to make an impact on the game, but at the end of the day he wants to win.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) return to the sideline after a score against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

“I’m going to do my best to keep getting him the ball when he’s there, when he’s open. I think the more (sophomore wideout) Rashee (Rice) makes plays, the more we can run the ball, the more we can get (receiver Xavier) Worthy involved, I think that’s going to open up Travis. People are really stressing about getting him away and it’s going to open up other guys.”

Kelce also discussed his slow start on his “New Heights” podcast after Week 2.

“I used to get really, really angry and almost lose my cool because I didn’t have that success, knowing that I demanded that of myself and I just like playing the game with such a high level of responsibility that it’s just hard for me to deal with mediocrity or the stats that represent that,” Kelce said last Wednesday.

“For whatever reason, the last two games it hasn’t gone my way and that’s football, man. I’m not going to sit here and get frustrated.”

Kelce agreed to a contract extension with the Chiefs in April through 2025, making him the NFL’s highest-paid tight end.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, the deal is a two-year add-on to his current $34.25 million contract.

The Chiefs (3-0) will play the Chargers (2-1) in Los Angeles on September 29.