Why is Travis Kelce struggling? Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end gives an explanation

The pressure on players to perform in the NFL is immense on any day, far less when said player is on the roster of a defending Super Bowl champion. Such is the case with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who now finds himself in the spotlight not for his performances but rather, lack thereof.

Travis Kelce addresses struggles

With their record standing at 3-0, one could be forgiven for thinking that everything is going well for the Kansas City Chiefs as they look to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive titles. Yet, that’s not entirely the case as one of the team’s major offensive weapons continues to underperform. Indeed, that is the case with star tight end Travis Kelce who had yet another disappointing night on Sunday when the Chiefs put down the Atlanta Falcons.

On the night, Kelce only managed to notch 30 yards and did not score. For a player who is regarded as one of the best in his position in the league and recently signed a massive two-year extension during the offseason, that’s simply not good enough. To be clear, Kelce has registered eight catches on the season so far to the tune of 69 yards and is yet to find the end zone. Again, not good enough.

There have of course been a number of comments about the how and why of it all with even Kelce’s teaMMAte and Chiefs starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, weighing in. To hear the signal caller tell it, Kelce is not playing badly but rather is a victim of his own success with defenses now paying extra attention to him, such that his task has been made tougher.

Be that as it may, it’s interesting to note that the 34-year-old had his own say about the situation and was frank with his words. Speaking during this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce was open about his recent struggles. “I played like trash... I’m playing winning Football. It’s not trash. But it could be better,” referring to his performance against the Falcons. If there is an upside it’s that these are early days in the season and the Chiefs still have a perfect record. To that end, fans will be hoping that Kelce can shake off whatever it is that’s hindering him as the team prepares for a Week 4 clash with the Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday in LA.