Former ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay offered an honest assessment of Travis Kelce's performance through the first three weeks of this season.
While Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes defended Kelce's slow start and noted other defenses were prepared for him, Awful Anoning reported that McShay said Kelce's off-field activity was tiring him out.
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Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce warms up ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
“So, I don't understand. Maybe it's a political thing, maybe it's an NFL thing, maybe the league office is calling me, maybe it's Taylor Swift, I don't know,” McShay said on “The Line Russillo Podcast.” “But like, when you're staring at something as obvious as this… Cris Collinsworth is honestly my favorite analyst to watch. I think he's the most respected analyst in football. Anyone with half a brain…”
“Every show that I watch, the pregame show, the halftime show, the postgame show, the weekday shows, every broadcast that I've watched the last few weeks, I feel like they're not supposed to be saying that he's not feeling well, that he's been partying all offseason, that he's been jetting around with probably the most famous person in the world, that he's drinking, that he's been to the U.S. Open and having cocktails.”
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce reacts after a first down during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 5, 2024 in Kansas City. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
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McShay then compared the 2022 preseason to the 2024 preseason, suggesting Kelce is not as focused as he used to be, and pointed to a dejected Kelce sitting on the bench watching video on a tablet and saying he is not the same player he used to be.
“There's no debate that his body has changed,” McShay added. “He's not in the same shape he was in before. He's not got the same explosiveness he had before. He looks like he's tired a little bit during games. It's OK. He'll bounce back. He's not the first guy that's not in the elite shape he once was.”
“And now you're sitting here defending him. Isn't there some messaging from the league that we're not allowed to say he's not what he was and can't perform at his highest level right now? He's probably going to be back in shape by Week 8, Week 9, Week 10 this season. Are we not allowed to say that?”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce catches a pass during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 15, 2024, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
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Kelce is almost 35. He started last season with an injury and was targeted 121 times, his fewest since 2017, but he still recorded 1,000 yards receiving that season.
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