Travis Kelce dismisses Taylor Swift curse amid early season struggles with Kansas City Chiefs

The star has responded to his underwhelming start to the 2029 NFL season

NFL star Travis Kelce has dismissed concerns over his slow start to the season, maintaining that he remains as formidable a player as ever.

Despite only securing eight catches from 12 attempts, totalling 69 yards and no touchdowns in the first three games, Kelce's confidence is unshaken. During the Kansas City Chiefs' 22-17 triumph over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, the 34 year old appeared downbeat on the sidelines while his girlfriend Taylor Swift was conspicuously missing from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Many have attributed Kelce's sluggish performance to his relationship with Swift and the subsequent fame it has brought him. However, despite his lacklustre offensive display at the beginning of the year, Kelce insists he can still produce the same results he's achieved throughout his impressive 11-year NFL career.

The American football ace said: "This year stats may say something different, but at the same time you'll see the same person inside this building, and that's all I really care about. I'm my own worst critic. Everything outside of this building is just noise.

"I'm fortunate. I've had the success in the past and I realised that the ball can't always go to one person. It can't always get in my hands, but at the same time, I got all the trust in [Patrick Mahomes] to make the right decision, and he's been making great decisions. We might not be putting up as [many] points as we want to, but at the same time we're 3-0 and we're doing something right."

Despite Kelce's struggles, several other Chiefs players have stepped up to shoulder the offensive burden. In the game against the Falcons, wide receiver Rashee Rice made an impressive 12 catches for 110 yards and one touchdown, marking his second game with over 100 yards in receptions.

Noah Gray, the backup tight end, has managed to catch four passes for a total of 50 yards this season, while undrafted running back Carson Steele accumulated 72 yards on the ground in Week 3, filling in for the injured Isiah Pacheco.

"I love the way Rashee's been playing,'' Kelce praised. "He's fun to play with and he's one of my favourite guys in the building. We put more trust in Noah. It's fantastic to see him go out there and showcase his abilities - he's such a well-rounded player. Outside of that, [Steele], too, I think the emergence of guys stepping up to the plate and making plays for us and helping us win ball games is the most enjoyable part of this year so far.''

Despite the Chiefs boasting a perfect 3-0 record this year thanks to victories over the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Falcons, Kelce maintained that there are still areas where he and his teammates need to improve.

He said: "There is a bit of understanding that we're going to have to keep working and we're not where we want to be. We want to win every single ball game we can and at the same time there's a sense of urgency throughout the week to get things right for the opponent that we're playing. And then on top of that, when we're watching the games in review, we're just nonstop trying to critique ourselves to get better."

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