Sports radio legend questions Travis Kelce's dedication to football amid slow start to season

Questions about Travis Kelce’s playing abilities landed at the foot of New York City radio legend Mike Francesa on Monday, and he voiced his opinion about the star tight end.

The nine-time Pro Bowler only has eight catches for 69 yards to start the season. The Kansas City Chiefs have won their first three games.

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Falcons safety Jessie Bates III, #3, breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, #87, in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 22, 2024. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

Every sports analyst is trying to figure out why Kelce has not been involved as much in the offense as he has been in previous years. Francesa wondered if his heart is still in it.

"As an organization and as a coach, you would have to question how dedicated Kelce is to the sport right now," Francesa said on his podcast. "He has a lot going on in his life. His life has taken a radical change. 

"You see him in commercials, you see him in photo ops, you see him now very conscious of how he’s dressed … and where the paparazzi are and everything else. It changed his life. And you wonder, where does football and where does football preparation enter into that."

Francesa pointed to Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III knocking the ball out of Kelce’s hands on a crucial play.

"It is a very fair question when you see safeties strip the ball out of his hands in big spots, when you see listless pattern running from him, when you see him be a non-factor game after game, which is puzzling — but again, how much of that is on him? How much of that is on his preparation and dedication? And it is fair to bring that full circle and to mention that."

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Sports radio talk show host Mike Francesa looks on at Carnesecca Arena. (Wendell Cruz-USA Today Sports)

Francesa used the tutelage from Bill Parcells, in which the radio host said the coach wanted his team to be football players and not celebrities.

"Clearly, at this stage of his career, you wonder where he is in his dedication, in his preparation, because his performance has fallen off dramatically. And it’s not just, ‘Oh the Chiefs are going away from Kelce.’ It’s not that. It’s more than that.

"… It’s extremely logical. It’s extremely human. His life has changed. He’s now prancing around the globe with one of the most famous people in the world. His life is a photo op. What he’s got on is a topic of conversation."

Patrick Mahomes defended Kelce and chalked it up to other teams playing him tightly.

"The respect factor they have for Travis is just unreal," he said of other teams. "It’s well-deserved, but we're calling a lot of plays for Travis, and it's like two or three people are going to him. So, I mean, he understands. I think that's the great thing about him is he wants to make an impact on the game, but he wants to win at the end of the day. 

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce prepares for a game against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 22, 2024. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

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"I'm going to try to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he's there, whenever he's open. But I think the more Rashee [Rice] makes plays, the more we're able to run the football, the more we can get [Xavier] Worthy involved, that's going to open Travis up more. I mean, people are really emphasizing trying to take him away, and it’s getting other guys open."

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