It didn’t take long for Travis Kelce’s slow start to be linked to Taylor Swift.
Todd McShay, who appears on The Ryen Russillo Podcast every Monday during the NFL season and has done so since leaving ESPN, is in talks to join The Ringer. He’s also in talks to lay the hammer down the Kansas City Chiefs’ All-Pro tight end, who has eight catches for 69 yards through his first three games.
While the former longtime ESPN NFL Draft analyst didn’t go to the lengths that NBC’s Cris Collinsworth did, claiming he was “flabbergasted” by on-field matters, McShay took aim at what Kelce is doing with his pop sensation girlfriend off of it.
@russillopod Todd McShay discusses Travis Kelce’s lack of production so far this season. #nfl #chiefs #kansascitychiefs #traviskelce #RussilloPod ♬ original sound – The Ryen Russillo Podcast
“So, I don’t understand this, and maybe it’s a political thing, maybe it’s like the NFL, and maybe I’m gonna wind up getting a phone call from the league office. Maybe it’s the Taylor Swift, I don’t know,” says McShay. “But like when you’re staring at something so obvious… Cris Collinsworth is, honest to God, my favorite analyst out there to watch; most respected analyst, I think, in football for anyone that has half a brain…
“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. That he’s drinking… going to the U.S. Open, he’s got cocktails in…”
“What I do know is: I want you to take a picture from preseason 2022 and then take a picture preseason 2024; they’re barely the same human being, Ryan,” added McShay. “And everyone’s like, ‘We gotta get him the ball. Why isn’t he part of the offense? The defense is double-covering (him).’ Here’s the thing, bottom line with Kelce, the coverage and the respect he gets is the same; the athlete is not.
“Now, is he gonna work himself into the shape during the season? Yeah, I’m sure he will. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s one of the best to ever do it. And he still finds a way to make a play or two here or there and shows up in close moments. But he’s not the same guy right now. Look at him, just look at his face!”
McShay didn’t hold back as he continued, doubling down on his assessment.
“There’s no debating that his body type is different,” he continued. “He’s not in the same shape. He’s not the same. I don’t see the same explosiveness. I see him wearing down a bit in-game. It’s okay; he’ll work himself back into the shape. It’s not the first guy ever who’s not quite in the elite shape that he was.
“And now you’re sitting here, and you’re defending him, too. Is there some kind of message I’m not getting from the league that you’re not allowed to say he’s not in the same shape, he’s not able to produce at the highest level right now? And he’ll probably work himself back into shape by Week 8, 9, 10 this season. Are we not allowed to say that?”
While McShay’s concerns about Kelce’s conditioning are valid, it’s also important to recognize the context of an 11-year career filled with grueling seasons and persistent injuries. As McShay suggests, Kelce may not be in peak form right now, but his track record of overcoming obstacles and consistently performing at an elite level speaks for itself.
