Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s Relationship Takes Center Stage as Chiefs Head to Super Bowl
Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, is basking in the glory of having pop superstar Taylor Swift on the team’s bandwagon as they head to the Super Bowl. Their relationship has become a talking point, especially after their on-field smooch following the AFC title game. On their podcast, “New Heights,” Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, jokingly discussed how Swift’s presence has coincided with the Chiefs’ success. Travis invited Swift to a game earlier this season, and she has been a regular attendee ever since.
Jason Kelce gave a shout-out to Swift on the podcast, saying, “Shout out to the newest member of the Chiefs Kingdom, Swift, who has officially reached the Super Bowl in her rookie year.” Travis added with a laugh, “Shout out to Tay. Thanks for joining the team.”
The question now is whether Swift will make it to the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11 in Las Vegas. Swift is currently scheduled to resume her Eras Tour with four shows in Tokyo. The finale is set for Saturday night, which should end around 10 p.m. local time, giving her enough time to make it to Allegiant Stadium before kickoff if she takes a private plane between the two cities.
In a surprising turn of events, American Airlines and United Airlines have embraced the Taylor-and-Travis romance. American Airlines will run Flight 1989 (the year Swift was born and the title of her fifth studio album) twice from Kansas City to Las Vegas next week. Additionally, Flight 87 (Kelce’s jersey number) will depart from Kansas City the day after the Super Bowl. American Airlines released a statement saying, “To our customers who are huge sports fans, look what you made us do.”
Kelce and Swift have tried to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but it has become increasingly difficult. During game broadcasts, networks have faced criticism from NFL fans for showing too much of Swift’s in-suite celebrations, often with Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, the “Swift effect” appears to be real when it comes to expanding the NFL audience. CBS, which aired the Chiefs’ 17-10 win over Baltimore in the AFC title game, shattered records with 55.473 million viewers in the afternoon window. This represented a 17% increase over last year’s early conference championship game.
Of course, the Chiefs’ success is not solely attributed to Swift. The team is one of the most visible franchises in the league, and players like Mahomes and Kelce have become household names through their charitable endeavors and various media appearances.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid has praised Kelce for his ability to stay focused on his job despite the distractions. Reid said, “I haven’t really seen it affect him in any way. I haven’t seen anything with his relationship, with his off-the-field stuff, with the commercials, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ all that stuff. He just goes. I think all that plays into what he is. That’s just part of it. He does all that stuff real easy. I don’t think that gets him out of his personality, and he has to change at all.”
Kelce has been performing exceptionally well during this year’s playoffs. He has set records for postseason receptions and playoff games with at least 100 yards receiving. His contributions on the field have undoubtedly played a significant role in the Chiefs’ success.
Coach Reid also spoke highly of Swift, mentioning that he knew her before she started dating Travis. He said, “She’s a good girl, and I’m happy for Trav. And there have been no distractions that way at all. And Trav’s handled it right. She’s handled it right. And we just move forward. So it hasn’t been a problem at all.”
As the Chiefs prepare for the Super Bowl, they have one more reason to celebrate – their relationship with Taylor Swift. Whether she makes it to the game or not, her presence has undoubtedly brought attention to the team and expanded the NFL’s audience. With Kelce’s exceptional performances and the support of their fans, the Chiefs are ready to take on the 49ers and bring home another Super Bowl victory.