Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s dinner stunned New Orleans and has exposed him to criticism should the Chiefs lose the Super Bowl… was it worth it?

Thousands of Super Bowl fans were partying on Bourbon Street and glitzy, celebrity-filled parties were in full flow on Friday night with less than 48 hours to go until the Super Bowl.

But four miles across New Orleans, a quaint French restaurant in the relaxed and largely residential Uptown neighborhood became the center of the festivities.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift stunned locals when they strolled into sophisticated eatery ‘Lilette’, which markets itself as ‘the sexiest restaurant in town’.

Cameras flashed, hordes of fans gathered to catch a glimpse, and social media was set ablaze with the same question: are they really out two nights before the Super Bowl?

It later emerged that Kelce was not the only Kansas City Chiefs star to momentarily take his eye off the prize. This is a business trip after all.

They were joined by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes in a private dining room, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the star-studded main restaurant where Joe Montana and Jennifer Coolidge were among the guests.

The foursome stayed for a few hours but as word spread on social media, Swifties hoping to get a glimpse of their hero gathered outside to catch a peek.

Kelce and Swift left just after 10pm, capping a night out that has left Chiefs fans concerned his mind may be focused on other things and not the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The decision to go out has seen Kelce and Swift be accused of hypocrisy after both vowed to not let outside distractions affect his preparation for the game.

Last year before the Chiefs’ win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Kelce gave a pretty strong opinion as to why players shouldn’t be out and about in the build up to a big game.

Speaking to millions of listeners on his New Heights podcast, the Chiefs star told his brother Jason: ‘We’ve got one week, we do what we need to do then we can party in Vegas for the rest of our lives.’

It also came just days after Swift was allegedly ‘worried’ that her presence in the city could drag attention away from Kelce and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl three-peat aims.

According to reports, Swift wanted the game – and the build-up to it – to be all about Kelce and his team, especially if they make history.

‘Taylor doesn’t want to be the center of attention,’ a source was quoted as saying. ‘She just wants to support Travis and help him focus on the game.

‘She wants Travis to enjoy his Super Bowl week experience and be at 110% for Sunday, as she is dreaming about him making Super Bowl history and reaching another dream of his, winning another Super Bowl and making a three-peat.’

But by going out so publicly just 48 hours before kickoff at the Superdome, Kelce has only put critics on red alert if the Chiefs lose to the Eagles.

Chariah Gordon, whose fiance is Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., revealed in November that Andy Reid imposes a strict 11pm curfew on his players.

It seems Kelce has not broken any team or league rules but this is about optics and he practiced on Saturday as expected.

Should the Chiefs’ two leaders really be out and about so close to a career-defining game?

They have the chance to make NFL history on Sunday. No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row but now if they lose, questions will be asked as to why Kelce and Mahomes were out dining in New Orleans.

One thing we do know is that Swift would not have stayed with Kelce in the Chiefs’ Marriott hotel.

NFL rules prevent WAGs from staying with their partners the night before games. They can stay in the same hotel but cannot be in the same room.

Coaches and players have spent the last two weeks since the AFC Championship game win over the Buffalo Bills perfecting their game plan for the Eagles and running through it in practice.

The nights leading up to the game are often spent building team camaraderie with group dinners, games and other activities. It is uncommon for players to step out so close to kickoff.

Kelce’s antics are a stark comparison to how Julian Edelman used to prepare for Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

Talking about his routine on the eve of the game, he once said: ‘Eat. Then we have meetings, usually. Go over the game plan, go over the whole call sheet.

‘And then I take a little melatonin and pass out. I like to be in bed by 9 and watch some TV. Catch a flick and then end up falling asleep.’

As Chiefs fans on Bourbon Street absorbed the footage of their two leading players out in the city, some nervously wondered whether they’d taken their eye off the ball.

Social media was also filled with opinions on the surprise outing, with one fan labeling Kelce ‘unfocused’.

Another added: ‘Bad look. Kelce supposed to be locked in and watching film. I’m sure that outing could have waited.’

A third person said: ‘Normally the players do not go out the week before they are playing in the Super Bowl because of how seriously they take the game, or so I’m told. Even saw an old clip of that Kelce guy saying that.’

Only Kelce and Mahomes will know if the date night was a distraction.

One thing is for sure though, if they don’t perform in the Superdome and the Chiefs lose, their night out has given fans ammunition to criticize them with.