Despite the viral speculations about Taylor Swift‘s impact on Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs star is sharing a different story.

The NFL superstar made waves for looking downcast during Sunday’s game, a reaction many believed was caused by his girlfriend’s absence. However, his subpar performances weren’t linked to the “Karma” singer.

Travis Kelce opened up about what’s been happening to him behind the scenes this football season, revealing that he hasn’t been giving his best on the field but plans to shake it off.

Travis Kelce Admits He Hasn’t Been In The Best Shape

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During a recent episode of his “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis confessed that he hasn’t had the best season. He got vulnerable about his struggles, saying:

“We’re finding ways to win games, but we’re not playing our best football. Everybody can clean it up. I think everyone saw my drop in the fourth quarter with that crucial third down.”

Travis admitted that he was “trying to do too much before putting the ball away” and acknowledged that he needed to focus more on “making the play in big-time moments.” He also addressed the opposing teams’ tactic of using defensive players to stop him, noting:

“I think with how defenses are playing us right now, I’m not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field, but not using that as an excuse.”

“Moving forward, [I’m] still trying to make sure that I can help the team out in that regard,” Travis stressed per Page Six. He also revealed that the Kansas City Chiefs were working on “tweaking their game in the right direction” and getting “better.”

Travis’ Brother Claims The Opposing Teams Are Focused On Stopping Him

Travis’ older brother, Jason, understood his struggles and assured fans there were plans to improve his performance. He noted that the Kansas City Chiefs coach, Andy Reid, and the team’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, were trying to plan plays.

He claimed the duo wanted to center their plans on Travis, but the opposing team’s defenses were also “working hard at taking Kelce out of the picture.” As a retired NFL star, Jason understood how “frustrated” his brother was by his subpar performance.

However, Travis stressed that he wouldn’t be disheartened by his slow start this season, declaring: “Whatever it is, it’s football, 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢! Come on now, I’m not getting caught up in getting the targets and all that.”

“I just wanna have a successful offense, and I think Pat’s doing a great job of finding the open guy and making the right decisions right now,” he claimed.

The Kansas City Chiefs Player Says They Are Prepared For A Challenging Season

Travis doubled down on the Kansas City Chiefs tweaking their game plays and “finding how to have success throughout the season.” He noted that his performance wouldn’t hinder the team’s growth, claiming they would “go through these ups and downs throughout the season.”

“You just wanna make sure that you clean up all the mistakes, that you’re making sure you’re communicating, so everybody understands exactly where we’re going moving forward, and nobody does it better than Coach Reid and Pat Mahomes in that regard,” he explained.

While he hasn’t been able to escape the opposing team’s defenders to catch the ball and score a touchdown, Travis stressed that as long as his team continues “winning football games,” they were “good to go, 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢!”

Travis’ Mom Defends Him Against Critics

Donna Kelce and her son Travis Kelce attend Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ Season 1

Before Travis broke his silence, his mother defended him against critics at the New York City premiere of the FX series “Grotesquerie” on Monday, September 23. Donna Kelce confessed it was “tough” hearing the negative remarks about her son, saying:

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 told PEOPLE, noting she was proud of Travis.

Travis Kelce Game Day Mood With No Taylor Swift In Sight

The drama about Travis’ performance went viral on Sunday during the Kansas City Chiefs match against the Atlanta Falcons. Although his team won, The Blast shared that the athlete looked downcast on the sidelines.

Many speculated that his sullen expression stemmed from Taylor Swift’s absence in the stands for the first time this season. However, others believed Travis’ sadness might be linked to underwhelming play against the Falcons.

Will Travis Kelce be able to bounce back, or does he need Taylor Swift’s cheers to improve his performance?