Taylor Swift seems to have taken a dig at Travis Kelce's teammate, as he has already expressed his opinion on Kadarius Toney, who appears to be the latest muse in one of Swift's tracks from her new album "The Tortured Poets Department."
Kadarius Toney, a player for the Kansas City Chiefs alongside Kelce, has had a rocky ride during the 2023 NFL season. Despite the Chiefs clinching Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, Toney was absent from the team's lineup, having been sidelined since Week 15's clash with the New England Patriots.
Swift's lyrics hint at controversy: "Where's the trophy? He just came running to me ... When I touch down, call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team. Ditch the clowns, get the crown."
This has led many fans to speculate that Swift is commenting on how the Chiefs seemed to perform better without Toney on the field. Following the game against the Patriots, the Chiefs secured victories in two of their final three matches and bagged their third Super Bowl title, all without Toney's involvement.
There was a time when it looked like Toney and the Chiefs were at odds over his role in the playoffs. Ahead of the AFC Championship showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs announced Toney's absence citing "personal reasons" and an alleged hip injury.
However, Toney took to Instagram Live to clear the air about his situation with the Chiefs, insisting that the team's claims about his injury were false. "I'm not hurt," Toney declared. "None of the s***. Suck my d***. I'm not hurt, none of that."
It's also worth mentioning that around this period, Toney was celebrating the arrival of his first child. Then, in the lead-up to the Chiefs' face-off with the 49ers in Las Vegas, Toney seemed to aim a dig at Patrick Mahomes, the team's leading quarterback. He suggested that Mahomes was preventing him from reaching his potential as a top receiver.
"On God, not hurt, none of that," he reiterated. "What else? I'm in a body cast right now, at this point." When quizzed on whether he considers himself the best receiver in the league, Toney's response was succinct: "Yeah, if I get the ball."
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The 2023 season proved challenging for Toney; the 25 year old had issues with dropped passes and several unforced errors, including an offsides infraction during what could have been a game-winning moment against the Buffalo Bills on December 10.
Despite the ups and downs of his season, Kelce stood by Toney, expressing gratitude for the team's decision to acquire a player with Toney's talent. "No, I don't know how he got out of that building. I just don't get it. I don't get it one bit," Kelce mused on the "New Heights" podcast.
"I don't understand, I don't even want to understand. I don't want to know what happened over there. I am just extremely happy that Brett Veach found a way, yet again, to get an unbelievable, talented player in this building."
While it seems his partner may have thrown some shade at his teammate, Kelce himself is reportedly vibing with Swift's latest tunes, with tracks like "So High School" among his top picks.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.