Ex-NFL star pushes back on narrative Taylor Swift is distraction for Chiefs
Chiefs are still in first place in the AFC West
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As the Kansas City Chiefs dropped three of four games, NFL fans and pundits have pointed to Taylor Swift as the reason the team hasn’t looked like itself.
Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman pushed back on the narrative in an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich." He said everyone is looking for a scapegoat.
He said no one in the locker room cares about who's dating whom.
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Taylor Swift wears a Santa hat with No. 87 during a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders Dec. 25, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"The funny part is everyone is always looking for their scapegoat or something else, right? Before you know it, they’ll start blaming different things on Kelce and stuff he does off the field in general," Merriman explained.
"They’ll blame it on the Kelce podcast. They’ll figure out a way, like, ‘Oh, he’s not focusing on the game because he’s still on his podcast,’ right? ‘He’s not focusing on the game because he’s at all of Taylor Swift’s concerts.’"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TRAVIS KELCE DISCUSSES 'F---ING FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE' OF BAD LOSS, ANGRILY LAUNCHING HELMET
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) waves to fans during warmups before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Dec. 17, 2023. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
The former Chargers star said the bottom line was the team hasn’t been playing well, from Patrick Mahomes down.
"Whenever you have somebody that big with that much notoriety coming around, people are always looking for a scapegoat," Merriman said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The bottom line of truth is they’re just not playing well. That defense is not playing as well as they were. They’re not blocking for him as well. But they will look for a scapegoat. If being a ‘Swiftie’ is a scapegoat they’ll use it."
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rolls out to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of a game Nov. 26, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
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Even with the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs still sit atop the AFC West with two games left in the regular season.