EXCLUSIVE: Travis Kelce 'Filled With Regret' Over Partying With Taylor Swift After Bruising Super Bowl Loss
Travis Kelce was filled with regret over partying with Taylor Swift after his bruising Super Bowl loss.
Aug. 18 2025, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Travis Kelce has openly admitted his focus slipped last season, saying: "Win a Super Bowl is the only goal. It’s the only goal. It’s every goal."
The 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who has been dating pop superstar Taylor Swift, also 35, for two years, also told America's GQ magazine that distractions off the field left him feeling he had fallen short of his own high standards – and sources tell RadarOnline.com he is "haunted" by how their partying "pushed him off point on the field."
Kelce's NFL Career Taking A Toll
Travis Kelce admitted his focus slipped during last season.
An insider said: "Travis' growing profile alongside Swift has intensified scrutiny and added pressure, all of which put him off his game before the Super Bowl loss.
"Travis is someone who genuinely cares about his image and the influence he has. He's filled with regret over letting off-field distractions affect his performance, and he's laser-focused on regaining that edge."
Kelce, a perennial NFL standout, faced heartbreak when the Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in February's Super Bowl, an outcome he himself also now believes was partly influenced by his growing involvement in the entertainment world.
He starred in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie while balancing football.
Outside football, Kelce has hosted Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and appeared in Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie – jobs that offer him excitement but also a split focus that many say has also damaged his on-field performances.
Kelce admitted to GQ he has wrestled with balancing his athletic commitments and his burgeoning public persona.
"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," he 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. I just have such a motivation to show up this year for my guys."
Kelce's Move Into The Entertainment Field
Kelce felt intense scrutiny as his profile rose alongside Swift.
The tight end, widely celebrated for his skill and leadership on the field, said he remains unsure about a permanent future in entertainment once his playing career ends.
"I don't necessarily know if I'll take it and run with it when I'm done playing, but I know that I want to stay around the football world as a profession and then dabble in other areas as well," Kelce said.
Kelce also reflected on the challenges of maintaining public perception in a celebrity-filled spotlight.
He said: "If someone says something that they don't like about you, you have to be able to understand how you are portraying yourself for them to say that. I don't want anyone to say anything negative about me.
Kelce's Trying To Prove His NFL Career Is His Focus
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The couple faced backlash for blending football with pop culture.
"Some people don't give a f---. I'm someone who does care. I do want people to look at me like I'm doing good in the world, I'm influencing and using my platform for the better, being a role model, being somebody that has done it the right way."
The Chiefs star, who has become a household name both on and off the field, now plans to "channel his full energy into the upcoming NFL season," sources tell us.
An insider added: "He is determined to prove that his dedication to football remains as fierce as ever."
