Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will likely no longer be able to perform his signature celebration made even more popular by girlfriend and pop icon Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce may be in line for a costly punishment the next time he performs his signature celebration that was adopted by girlfriend Taylor Swift.
In recent years, Kelce has been one of many players to embrace the “bow and arrow” gesture after scoring in the NFL. Back in January, the Kansas City Chiefs shared a video showcasing the tight end practicing his touchdown celebration in front of a white backdrop.
Back in June, Swift even mimicked the move during her first London show of the Eras Tour. While performing her song “So High School,” the pop icon drew her arm back and mimicked shooting an arrow from a bow – promptly sending social media into a tailspin.
During earlier performances on her Eras Tour, Swift fittingly deployed the gesture on her song “The Archer,” which features the lyric: “I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey.” Unfortunately for Kelce, it appears as though he’ll now have to shelve the celebration for the foreseeable future.
In the second quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 26-25 loss to the Chiefs in Week 2, wide receiver Andrei Iosivas reeled in a four-yard touchdown catch while dragging his toes along the sideline. Once two officials conferred and confirmed that the 24-year-old was in-bounds for the score, he fired off several imaginary arrows into the stands at Arrowhead Stadium.
The gesture apparently did not sit right with NFL top brass. According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Iosivas was fined $5,305 for what the league deemed to be “unsportsmanlike conduct/violent gesture.”
Fans online promptly took sides regarding the fine, with one X user asserting that the celebration should only be done by Kelce and Swift. “Tayvoodoo next time they should learn not to mess with them and leave the Archer to Taylor and Travis,” they wrote.
Others blasted the NFL for punishing Iosivas for something that Kelce has seemingly gotten away with his entire career. But the precedent now set this season suggests he could well be punished if he adopts the punishment again next time he finds the end zone.
“Kelce does it all the time, never fined. Roger’s favorite team has different rules than the rest of the no fun league,” another person said. A third added: “Yet Taylor Swift’s boyfriend can do it every time for his entrance @NFL? Where’s Travis’ fine? (To be clear, I don’t think either one should be fined).”
Immediately following the gesture, officials issued London and the Falcons a 15-yard penalty on the ensuing extra point kick. Speaking to reporters days later, the 23-year-old expressed regret for his actions.
“It’s a trend around football right now to do that type of celebration,” he told ESPN. “It was my first Monday Night Football game. I kind of lost myself in there. I wasn’t happy with the position I put my team in.
“There’s a lot of stuff going around in the world with gun violence that I don’t think I should have displayed there. So, I’m not too happy with it and [you] probably won’t see that again from me.”
