Travis Kelce Says Last 2 NFL Seasons 'Haven't Been to My Standard' Amid Acting Career

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce's star power off the field has grown amid his budding acting career, but he recently admitted that his outside endeavors have been somewhat detrimental to his production.

Kelce told Sean Manning of GQ that he feels he hasn't lived up to his reputation as the best tight end of his generation over the last two seasons.

"I think it might have slipped a little bit because I did have a little bit more focus in trying to set myself up. And opportunities came up where I was excited to venture into a new world of acting and being an entertainer," Kelce said. "I don’t say this as 'I shouldn’t have done it.' I’m just saying that my work ethic is such that I have so much pride in how I do things that I never want the product to tail off, and I feel like these past two years haven’t been to my standard."

In addition to his high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, Kelce made his foray into acting with roles in the 2024 horror-drama series Grotesquerie on FX and the recently released Netflix film Happy Gilmore 2. While he's set himself up for a future in film once his football career ends, he has performed below his usual level on the field.

Kelce had a streak of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons come to an end in 2023, and he failed to reach the mark again last year. It was his first time recording back-to-back seasons with under 1,000 yards since 2014 and 2015. To make things even more disappointing, the Chiefs fell short of achieving the first three-peat in modern NFL history when they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Still, Kelce made it clear that he's focused on one thing entering the 2025 season.

"Win a Super Bowl is the only goal," he said. "It’s the only goal. It’s every goal."

The 10-time Pro Bowler sounds as driven as ever to return to the level he's been accustomed to, and he's hoping it results in his fourth career championship ring.

"I just have such a motivation to show up this year for my guys," Kelce added.