I don’t know if the NFL has a Taylor Swift problem or if Taylor Swift has an NFL problem, but things are getting a little crazy between the two now that the 33-year-old is dating one of the greatest tight ends of all time, Travis Kelce. The two are coming together at the height of their careers and it has everyone talking.
She’s a woman who needs no introduction, but just in case you’re new to this – Taylor Swift is one of the most popular artists of all time and has one of the biggest and most loyal fanbases in the world. While she has dated celebrities before, this is her first public romance with an athlete – let alone a star NFL player.
So far, we’ve seen a variety of mixed behavior since the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce dating rumors began. The NFL is embracing the attention, Swifties are jumping aboard the Chiefs’ bandwagon, and NFL fans are split – some fans are sick of hearing about it, while others are only falling in love with Taylor more.
Taylor Swift has now been to two consecutive Kansas City Chiefs’ games since the dating rumors started – their Week 3 home matchup against the Chicago Bears in Arrowhead Stadium and their Week 4 away matchup against the New York Jets in MetLife Stadium. And she’s bringing her celebrity friends with her.
It’s one of the biggest storylines of the 2023 regular season and has overshadowed the mediocre play of the defending Super Bowl champions – who are 3-1 to start the season, but haven’t been winning in their typical dominant fashion. Instead, they’ve shown a number of weaknesses and vulnerabilities thus far.
The NFL has officially entered its ✨ Taylor Swift Era ✨
Travis Kelce now has 17 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns through three games this season, but he made his biggest catch of the year off the field. Whether you’re sick of hearing about it or loving the NFL’s embrace of Taylor Swift, let’s take a look at some of the most viral Swiftie-NFL moments so far.
1. She’s a Fan of the Philadelphia Eagles
Feels like today is an important day to remind everyone that Taylor Swift is, first and foremost, an Eagles fan. pic.twitter.com/qiA3XtlUmd
Taylor Swift was born in West Reading, PA and went to high school in Wyomissing, PA – roughly an hour and a half from Philadelphia. With that being said, it should come as no surprise to hear that Swift is a Philadelphia Eagles fan – which, of course, amplifies the fact that she’s now dating a Chiefs tight end.
She sang about an Eagles’ t-shirt in her 2020 song ‘Gold Rush’ (off her Evermore album), but fans didn’t know if she was singing about a Philadelphia Eagles shirt or a shirt by The Eagles’ band. In May, she performed her Eras Tour inside the Eagles’ home stadium and confirmed she was signing about the team.
For a little more context, her Philadelphia Eagles lost to Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s Super Bowl – which has many fans confused on who to root for.
Travis Kelce attended Taylor Swift’s concert at Arrowhead Stadium in July and spoke of his experience during an episode of his New Heights podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce. Travis enjoyed the show, but was disappointed because he wanted to meet up with Taylor before or after the show – she declined.
He went on to explain that he made her a beaded bracelet with his phone number on it – a bracelet he wanted to give her, but never got the chance. The brothers had a good laugh, but you could tell Travis was serious about wanting to shoot his shot with Taylor. He eventually got his opportunity and it worked.
3. Taylor Swift Celebrates Travis Kelce’s Touchdown
The NFL got a nice surprise ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 3 matchup with the Bears when they realized Taylor Swift was going to the game – to watch Travis Kelce, of course. She sat with his mother, Donna Kelce, in a booth reserved for family and friends – and she was clearly supporting Travis and the Chiefs.
With roughly eight minutes left in the third quarter, Travis caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes and the camera immediately cut to Taylor Swift – who celebrated the touchdown with a chest bump and a Tom Brady-like ‘let’s f***ing go!’ alongside Donna. The Chiefs went on to win the game 41-10.
4. Taylor Swift Leaves the Locker Room and Stadium With Travis Kelce
When the Week 3 game ended, many people were lining up near the exits in hopes of seeing Taylor Swift – many were curious to see if she left by herself or with Travis. She was hard to find, but one reporter – who was in the locker room – got a video of Taylor and Travis walking out of the locker room together.
Not only that, but cameras spotted the newly-minted couple leaving together in Travis’ 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible – somewhat of a ‘getaway car,’ if we were to reference a 2017 song by Swift. At the time, this all but confirmed that Travis and Taylor were (at the very least) getting to know one another.
5. Travis Kelce Treats Taylor Swift to Dinner Party
TMZ released a photo of Taylor Swift sitting on the lap of "rumored boyfriend" Travis Kelce at a celebration dinner after his team won the tournament. #TaylorSwiftpic.twitter.com/Sc9eIPyyA0
The dating rumors between Taylor and Travis continued to heat up later that night when Travis bought out an entire restaurant so he, Taylor, his parents, and teammates could celebrate the Week 3 win. Guests at the restaurant were suddenly asked to leave, but were given to-go boxes, and their meals were paid for.
Not a lot of photos and videos emerged from the dinner party, but there was one video that showed Travis sitting at what appeared to be a bar and you’ll never guess who had her arm wrapped around him – Taylor Swift! It seemed to be a fun night for the couple, who were still in the early stages of a relationship.
6. Taylor Swift Helps Travis Kelce’s Jersey Sales Rise
Travis Kelce jerseys saw a nearly 400% spike in sales after Taylor Swift attended his game. pic.twitter.com/G1DHco9Fzr
They’re calling it the ‘Taylor Swift Effect.’ According to Fanatics – one of the most popular manufacturers of sportswear and sports merchandise – Travis Kelce saw a ‘nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites.’ And it’s no surprise that the spike came the same day Swift was at his game.
Not only that, but Fox Sports announced that the Chiefs-Bears game was the weekend’s most-watched contest with more than 24.3 million viewers. All it took was one appearance during a blowout performance and Taylor Swift was already having a positive impact on merchandise sales and television viewership.
Over the past few weeks, the NFL has taken full advantage of the extra attention they’re receiving from the dating rumors between Travis and Taylor. After the Chiefs’ Week 3 game, the league changed its Twitter bio to ‘NFL (Taylor’s Version) and changed its cover photo to a photo of her and Travis’ mother.
It was at this point that people were either 100% on board with the Swiftie-NFL saga or 100% fed up with it. Some people were happy to see the two sides embracing the newfound attention, while others wanted nothing more than to get back to football. It’s safe to say that Taylor Swift is an acquired taste in the NFL.
8. Travis Kelce Shouts Out Taylor Swift After Attending Game
Following his Week 3 game, Travis Kelce took to his New Heights podcast to talk about his weekend with Taylor Swift. He shouted her out and thanked her for ‘pulling up’ to the game and even called her ‘pretty ballsy’ for doing so – understanding that it would bring a lot of attention to their newly-minted relationship.
“I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her – the friends and family. She looked amazing and everybody was talking about her in great light,” he said during the podcast on Wednesday (Sept. 27). “I’m enjoying life and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.”
9. Taylor Swift Brings Friends to Week 4 Chiefs Game
So sad that Taylor Swift’s career was tanking so bad that she needed to date an NFL player and then show up at games with Wolverine and Deadpool to stay relevant. pic.twitter.com/YeloFwoRUP
On Sunday (Oct. 1), Taylor Swift pulled up to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs take on the New York Jets for last week’s installment of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ She was seen arriving at the stadium with several friends, who joined her in a luxury suite with Donna Kelce.
You might’ve heard of her friends before – Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Sophie Turner, and more. The NFL isn’t known for drawing A-list celebrities – not like the NBA, at least – but Taylor appears to be changing that. The broadcast ended up showing Taylor 17 times during the game.
10. Taylor Swift Celebrates TD by Isiah Pacheco
Isiah Pacheco gets some big blocks and finds the end zone. 😤 @isiah_pachecoRB
About six minutes into the Chiefs-Jets Week 4 matchup, Isiah Pacheco – a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs – busted out an impressive 48-yard rushing touchdown. And who did the cameras turn to after showing his celebration dance? T-Swift, who was seen hugging her two friends (including Blake Lively).
The NBC broadcast again turned the cameras to Taylor Swift, who appeared thoroughly impressed after watching the replay. It was a good run by Pacheco, who broke a tackle behind the line of scrimmage before scurrying his way through a couple of blocks and using his speed to guide him into the endzone.
11. Taylor Swift Appears to Make Fun of Travis Kelce
When the clock hit zero in MetLife Stadium, the Chiefs were celebrating a tight 23-20 victory on the field with Taylor Swift looking on from her suite. The cameras showed Travis Kelce making his rounds as he shook the hands of Jets’ players before cutting to a shot of Taylor Swift, who was with Blake Lively.
Swift appears to jokingly and playfully make fun of Kelce (or another player) by mimicking them saying hello to their opponent – many of them friends off the field. It was a good night for the Chiefs, who improved their record to 3-1 on the season and were now 2-0 in the Swiftie Era – but more on that later.
12. Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce Are Getting Along Great
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce chatting at the Chiefs game.
One of the highlights of Taylor Swift’s recent rise in the NFL community is her connection with Donna Kelce – Travis Kelce’s mother. Sources say they first met at the Chiefs-Bears game, where they sat next to one another the whole time. They were also spotted next to one another during the Chiefs-Jets game.
Donna Kelce rose to stardom last year when both of her sons – Travis (Chiefs) and Jason Kelce (Eagles) – played in the Super Bowl. She received a lot of media attention between the NFL, sponsorships, and her sons’ New Heights podcast, and the world instantly gravitated toward their mother-son relationship.
After the Chiefs defeated the Jets 23-20 on Sunday Night Football, the NFL (yet again) took advantage of having Taylor Swift at their game. Not only was she shown 17 times during the NBC SNF broadcast, but they (again) decided to change their cover photo and bios on Instagram and Twitter – almost to a fault.
On Instagram, they changed their bio to read ‘chiefs are 2-0 as swifties’ – referring to their Week 3 and 4 wins, both with Swift in attendance. The NFL also changed their X cover photo to a shot of Taylor Swift and changed their X bio to read ‘we had the best day with you today’ – a nod to her ‘The Best Day’ song.
14. Travis Kelce Says NFL is Overdoing Their Coverage of T-Swift
During the latest episode of New Heights, Jason Kelce asks his younger brother, Travis Kelce, if the NFL is ‘overdoing it’ with their coverage of Taylor Swift. They both agreed that showing celebrities in the stands is fine to a certain point, but also agreed that the NFL is overdoing it in regards to the Swift-Kelce rumors.
“I think it’s fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time I think they’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure. I think they’re just trying to have fun with it,” Travis said on the podcast – and his brother agrees.
15. NFL Responds to Coverage of Taylor Swift
NFL statement to @people on all the Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift coverage:
"We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally. The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve… https://t.co/Bkd7AnbtZOpic.twitter.com/IgTbk8DqpK
The NFL took one look at social media and came to the same conclusion most of us (including Travis and Jason) had about the NFL-Swift ordeal – maybe they were overdoing it, after all. They released a statement defending their coverage of Taylor Swift and said they viewed it as a ‘pop cultural moment.’
“We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,” the NFL wrote – describing it as an ‘intersection of sport and entertainment’ and claiming that they’ve ‘remained focused on the game, our players and variety of other initiatives.’
Will Taylor Swift Ever Perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Taylor Swift is no stranger to selling out NFL stadiums – she has made a career of it. I mean, she has performed in Arrowhead Stadium three times – Speak Now World Tour in 2011, Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018, and The Eras Tour in 2023 – before her appearance at the Chiefs-Bears game on Sept. 24.
With that being said, it’s a little surprising that she has never performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show – one of the biggest stages in the world. It’s something she’s definitely aware of and she has even talked about doing it in the future, but admits that a Super Bowl performance isn’t on her to-do list right now.
“The Super Bowl will be a nice thing to do someday but it is not a defining moment for her right now,” a source close to Taylor Swift told the Daily Maila couple months ago. “Working on her current tour and recording her old music and working on new music and living life are taking up the majority of her time.”
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