Need another sign that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are simply meant to be together or B次元官网网址淭ayvisB次元官网网址� or besties or whatever it is they are?

How about this: the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end just spent Week 5 dealing with both a gnarly-looking sprained ankle and a needless dig from Aaron Rodgers the exact same way.

By B次元官网网址� shaking it off.

HowB次元官网网址檚 that song go again?

B次元官网网址淧layers gonna play, play, play, play, play

B次元官网网址淎nd the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)

B次元官网网址淏aby, IB次元官网网址檓 just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

B次元官网网址淚 shake it off, I shake it off.B次元官网网址�

Swift may sing those words when she resumes The Eras Tour but itB次元官网网址檚 Kelce whoB次元官网网址檚 living them word for word right now in front of our eyes.

KelceB次元官网网址檚 day B次元官网网址� and maybe season B次元官网网址� appeared to be over late in the second quarter of the on Sunday when he went down awkwardly without being touched and limped off the field, slamming his helmet and heading down to the locker room.

Kelce didnB次元官网网址檛 return after halftime with his teammates but emerged from the tunnel just before the second-half kickoff. After standing on the ChiefsB次元官网网址� sideline for their first drive, he returned to action and played a key role in Kansas CityB次元官网网址檚 fourth consecutive win.

Kelce corralled a trio of big catches from Patrick Mahomes on a touchdown drive that gave K.C. a 27-13 lead, including the 4-yard reception in the end zone after his leaping, 14-yard grab withstood a Minnesota challenge.

B次元官网网址淧retty amazing,B次元官网网址� coach Andy Reid said of KelceB次元官网网址檚 Willis Reed moment, which came 48 hours after Kelce shook off with equal aplomb.

Proving he doesnB次元官网网址檛 just have nowadays, Kelce was the target of Rodgers, the notorious anti-vaxxer who is recovering from an Achilles tear in his Jets debut and took a dig at the Chiefs star tight end out of the blue last week, poking fun at KelceB次元官网网址檚 promotion of flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines.

Rodgers said during his appearance on that the JetsB次元官网网址� 23-20 loss to Kansas City in Week 4 was a moral victory in B次元官网网址渢hat we hung with the champs and that our defense played well, and Pat didnB次元官网网址檛 have a crazy game, and Mr. Pfizer, we kind of shut him down. He didnB次元官网网址檛 have his crazy impact game.B次元官网网址�

Kelce did have a team-high six catches for 60 yards, but OK, he didnB次元官网网址檛 score.

Rodgers has long been outspoken about COVID-19 and the NFLB次元官网网址檚 protocols that were in place in 2020-21, which he called draconian and designed to shame players like himself who didnB次元官网网址檛 get the shot.

He acknowledged at the time that he possibly misled the public about his vaccination status and he missed a game, coincidentally against Kelce and the Chiefs, that season when he contracted the virus. The day after he was ruled out against Kansas City, he went on McAfeeB次元官网网址檚 show and questioned the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines altogether.

A week later, he said on McAfeeB次元官网网址檚 show and said he didnB次元官网网址檛 intend to fuel the divide over vaccines, adding, B次元官网网址淚 respect everybodyB次元官网网址檚 opinion B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檓 not gonna hate on anybody that has said things about me. I believe everybodyB次元官网网址檚 entitled to their opinion. IB次元官网网址檒l always believe that.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 an athlete, IB次元官网网址檓 not an activist,B次元官网网址� Rodgers added, explaining he didnB次元官网网址檛 want to champion any side of the simmering debate that had expanded from doctorsB次元官网网址� offices to the political sphere. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 gonna get back to doing what I do best, and thatB次元官网网址檚 playing ball.B次元官网网址�

Without that competitive outlet two years later as he recovers from surgery, Rodgers decided to chime in on the COVID-19 issue again a couple of days after Kelce appeared in a , as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ad, which includes KelceB次元官网网址檚 mother, Donna, is part of a partnership with Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company which developed a vaccine in response to the pandemic.

Asked Friday if heB次元官网网址檇 heard RodgersB次元官网网址� remarks, Kelce handled it like a public relations pro.

B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� Kelce said. B次元官网网址淲ith this mustache right now I look like a guy named Mr. Pfizer. Who knew IB次元官网网址檇 get into the vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man? Mr. Pfizer vs. the Johnson & Johnson family over there.B次元官网网址�

Jets owner Woody Johnson is a descendent of one of three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson, which also developed a vaccine for COVID-19.

Kelce said heB次元官网网址檚 an advocate of the vaccinations B次元官网网址渂ecause of keeping myself safe, keeping my family safe, the people in this building, so yeah I stand by it 1,000%.

B次元官网网址淔ully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer.B次元官网网址�

So, who landed the best blow over this anti-jab rumpus?

Probably Pfizer, which capitalized on the row by ahead of the ChiefsB次元官网网址� game in Minneapolis featuring a blue jersey with KelceB次元官网网址檚 No. 87 and the name stitched across the back was B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淢r PfizerB次元官网网址�

Another billboard, this one from a radio station, also referenced Kelce if not by name:

B次元官网网址淏eat TaylorB次元官网网址檚 boyfriend.B次元官网网址�

Kelce got the better of the Vikings, however, just as he outpointed Rodgers.

___

AP NFL:

Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press