There’s been a lot of talk this football season about Travis Kelce‘s performance in the first three games, with some critics blaming his slow start on the fact that he’s dating Taylor Swift.
Now, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is weighing in on the backlash, and it’s clear he hasn’t lost faith in the star tight end.
“I know people are saying that he’s old or that he has distractions, but defenses don’t think that,” Reid told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 25, according to Fox News. “Trav is fine. He just keeps being Trav. He works his tail off. He hasn’t lost a step. He’s not distracted.”
Kelce himself opened up about his lackluster performance in the past few games in the most recent episode of New Heights, his podcast with brother Jason.
“I played like trash,” Kelce said. “I think everyone saw my drop in the fourth quarter and the crucial third down, just trying to do too much before putting the ball away.”
He continued: “That’s probably the biggest thing for me is making the play in big-time moments like that. I think with how defenses are playing us right now, I’m not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field, but not using that as an excuse. Moving forward, still trying to make sure I can help the team out in that regard knowing I’ve been that weapon for us in the past.”