1 week Ago
There's not a lot NFL defenders won't say to get into the heads of their opponents and one DB reportedly isn't afraid to take it there when it comes to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Ahead of Sunday night's matchup between the Chiefs and Falcons, Atlanta DB Jessie Bates III revealed that he may or may not invoke the pop superstar's name when covering Kelce in primetime. "I don't listen to much Taylor Swift, but obviously you got to have respect for what she's done in her career.
And then with Travis [Kelce], you got to have some type of respect with him," Bates explained on "The Pacman Jones Show." "But once that clock ticks and we're in between those lines. I see red sometimes and might say some crazy stuff to him, it may involve Taylor, in may not.
It's just part of the game, talking your little smack." Kelce's high-profile relationship with perhaps the most famous woman on the planet makes him an easy target for both fans and opponents. But it doesn't seem like any of that talk is affecting him too much — he's still making Pro Bowls, All-Pro teams and winning Lombardis.
With that said, it's been a bit of a slow start to the season for the future Hall of Famer. Which has drawn criticism from the likes of Stephen A. Smith in recent days: "I love my brother from another mother, Travis Kelce," Smith said on "First Take" Monday.
"[But] we saw more Taylor Swift than we saw Travis Kelce yesterday on a Sunday afternoon, and any other time that's applicable. That ain't supposed to happen yesterday." Michael Campanella/TAS24/Getty Images "We supposed to see more Travis Kelce yesterday than we saw her.
That's not happening. You got to get it going, bro. You got 39 receiving yards in the first two games," he continued.
"Come on now, it's time. Football season is here. Honeymoon's over.
Let's handle our business." We'll see if Bates and the Falcons' D can back up their trash talk when the game kicks off under the lights on NBC. Related: Report: Taylor Swift's Friends Have Changed Their Mind On Travis Kelce.
