Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have become national treasures – and the couple has discussed how to deal with all the extra attention surrounding their romance.

“As long as we’re happy, we can’t listen to anything that’s outside noise,” Kelce, 34, told reporters during a Friday, January 26, press conference when asked how he and Swift, also 34, handle their relationship being thrust into the spotlight.

While Kelce and Swift have chosen to ignore the chatter around their relationship, the NFL star admitted that “dealing with everyone else’s perspective on things” can be a “challenge,” especially when critics try to tie his on-field performance to his personal life.

“If we’re not having success, maybe throw it out there that I wasn’t focused or that the team isn’t focused,” he explained. “[But] if you’re in this building, you know exactly what’s going on.

So you got to compartmentalize and make sure you’re staying on task and giving everybody in the building and on that team the right perception.”

The athlete could dabble in more career opportunities during the offseason – but that doesn’t mean retirement is anywhere in sight.

“I have no reason to stop playing football,” Kelce said during a January 11 press conference. “I’ve been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I’ve been enjoying doing, like getting on camera … but it’s funny for me to even say that at this point in my career because I think it’s so much further down the road than it is right now.” Which Taylor Swift Era Are You in Right Now?

Global stardom may be new for Kelce, but he’s been a household name for football fans since he was drafted into the NFL in 2013. Regardless of his teammate’s popularity level, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says Kelce is still the same person he’s always been.

“Travis has always been Travis,” Mahomes, 28, told reporters on Wednesday, January 24, per NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. “He’s been himself the whole time.