Former NFL Star Plays Down 'The Taylor Swift Effect' On Travis Kelce

Channing Crowder has reassured sports fans that Travis Kelce's recent stellar performance on the field has nothing to do with his relationship with Taylor Swift.

According to the ex-NFL star, the Kansas City Chiefs star is much too accustomed to the limelight to be so easily influenced by dating a pop star. Crowder's opposing claims come precisely a month after the coach for the Chiefs admitted that Swift had an effect on his star player.

Since Swift and Kelce's romance became a hot topic online and offline, many people have begun paying close attention to the latter when he is on the field. 

The observation is so intense that statistics have indicated that whenever the Grammy Awards winner attends a Kansas City game during the ongoing season, her man averages 108 yards per game. Conversely, his performance drops to just 41.8 yards per game when she is not present.

Despite the glaring numbers, Crowder has refused to believe that the tight end's game is affected by his girlfriend's presence. The former Miami Dolphins linebacker emphasized this point in an interview on Tuesday that Swift has not swayed things for the 34-year-old.

Speaking to TMZ Sports after Kelce's four-catch, 44-yard performance in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during Monday Night Football, Crowder succinctly stated, "He [Kelce] doesn't hide from attention."

As for why the NFL star has not been at the top of his game over the last month, the 39-year-old offered a straightforward explanation — the increased defensive focus on the two-time Super Bowl winner is due to the absence of other significant weapons on Kansas City's offense.

Regarding Kelce's recent admission that retirement has crossed his mind, Crowder viewed it as a notable revelation, commenting, "Once guys start talking about retirement, they might as well retire."

In case you missed it, Swift's beau openly shared that retirement has become a constant consideration on his mind, claiming that it is something he thinks about "more than anyone could ever imagine." The admission is no doubt in contrast to his previous statement in June when he had this to say about retiring:

"Till the wheels fall off, baby. I just love the game. ... I think that kind of keeps me living with, I don't know, a young, fun-loving football player. I get to play a game for a living at the age of 33, 34, and I think that's something — you know, I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose that excitement that I had for a game when I was a kid."

Given the substantial pain the eight-time Pro Bowler is experiencing from the ten surgeries he has undergone during his career, there is a sense that the wear and tear on his body may result in a premature decline sooner rather than later.

As for his head coach, Andy Reid's thoughts on Swift's effect on Kelce, The Blast reported last month that he paid tribute to the "Blank Space" artist with a heartfelt message following her man's outstanding performance in the ongoing NFL season. 

At the time, the University of Cincinnati alum had enjoyed the best three-game stretch of his career, highlighted by a remarkable 12-catch, 179-yard, and one-touchdown record in a Sunday match against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The professional athlete's performance contributed to the 31-17 victory for the Chiefs, which gave Reid the chance to reflect on the "Taylor Swift effect." He expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Taylor can stay around all she wants." 

Reid's desire for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards nominee to remain in the audience is justified, given Travis Kelce's already-mentioned impressive performances in her presence. He recorded 31 catches in three games against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and the Chargers.

However, just like Crowder, not everybody is buying the Swift theory. For instance, Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling opted to focus on the Ohio native's talents following the team's victory, saying: "You can know what he's going to run, and you still can't stop it."