Travis Kelce's mom Donna defends TE from criticism for decline in on-field performance

The Kansas City Chiefs have been on a great momentum since Week 1, with three consecutive wins so far. When it comes to Travis Kelce, however, fans have been unimpressed with the tight end's performance since the start of the NFL season.

On Tuesday, Travis Kelce's mom Donna, took a stand for the tight end during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. Talking about the pressure on Kelce's shoulders, Donna said:

"It's tough, it really is. You know, I don't think they realize the pressure that people are under, whether they're athletes or professionals that are in front of the camera. And it's just very difficult, there's a lot of things going on behind the scenes."

"You don't realize how many times people are trying to keep you from catching the ball, or trying to trip you up or hit you… so it's kinda hard when you've got people that are in your face 24/7," Donna concluded.

There are multiple reasons behind the decline in Travis Kelce's on-field performance. According to an NFL insider, Kelce's girlfriend Taylor Swift, is one of them.

NFL insider blamed Taylor Swift for decline in Travis Kelce's performance

NFL insider Todd McShay feels Travis Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift has a lot to do with his low performance in the 2024 season so far. During Monday's episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast, McShay shed light on his take when he said:

“Every show I watch, every pregame show, halftime show, postgame show, weekday show, every broadcast I watch for the last few weeks, it’s like, are we not allowed to say that he’s out of shape, that he’s been partying all offseason? He’s been jet-setting around with the most famous person probably in the entire world."

"I want you to take a picture from preseason 2022 and then take a picture preseason 2024. They’re barely the same human being. Everyone’s like, ‘We got to get him the ball, why isn’t he part of the offense?’ The defense is double-covering.’ Here’s the thing, bottom line with Kelce: The coverage and the respect he gets is the same. The athlete is not," McShay concluded.

While Taylor Swift's romance might harm Travis Kelce's on-field performance, a new report, on the other hand, revealed that the Blank Space singer significantly boosted the Chiefs fanbase since last September. Nevertheless, do you think fans will get to see old Kelce back in the upcoming weeks?