Before Taylor Swift showed up to the Kansas City Chiefs’ game on Sept. 24, Travis Kelce was open about his admiration for the singer
Before Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce took off in a “getaway car” after his Sept. 24 game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the two-time Super Bowl champion had made his admiration for Swift known.
Dating back to a 2016 interview when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said he’d “kiss” Swift during an innocent game, to dishing about his weekend in New York City with the singer that included an appearance on SNL and a date night at Nobu, here is everything Kelce has said about the “Anti-Hero” singer since relationship buzz began.
Years before the rumors started to swirl of a romance between the Chiefs player and Grammy winner, Kelce was asked to play a game of “Kill, Marry, Kiss” while promoting his show Catching Kelce.
When asked on the segment of Afterbuzz TV who he’d select for each category if given the options of Swift, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry, Kelce reluctantly voted Grande out first before saying he’d kiss Swift and marry Perry.
In August, before the NFL season officially kicked off, Kelce sat down with his brother for an episode of their podcast in which the Philadelphia Eagles player asked his brother about the singer — subtly.
When Jason noted that Kelce had “brought back the mustache,” he later asked if his little brother had “found out what Taylor Swift thinks” of the new facial hair.
“We’re not going to bring up Taylor Swift in his episode,” Kelce responded with a smile as his brother laughed, before adding, “but something tells me she’s gonna like it.”
As the rumor mill continued to churn about what was going on between the two stars, Kelce addressed the chatter during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show.
He told the host that he “threw the ball in [Swift’s] court” by telling her “I’ve seen you rock the stage at Arrowhead [Stadium]. You might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.”
He added, “We’ll see what happens in the near future.”
And the near future came sooner rather than later! Just days after Kelce revealed that he had extended the invite, Swift showed up to his Sept. 24 game at Arrowhead Stadium. Throughout the game, cameras panned to the singer, who was seated in Kelce’s suite alongside his mother, Donna Kelce. After the game, the pair left together in his convertible.
Days afterward, Kelce opened up about the exciting evening on his podcast.
“I’m enjoying life and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend,” he said in an episode released Sept. 27.
“Shout out to Taylor for pulling up. That was pretty ballsy,” Kelce admitted before adding, “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 continued, “To see the slow motion chest bumps, to see the high fives with Mom, to see how, you know, Chiefs kingdom was all excited that she was there — that s— was absolutely hysterical and it was definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure.”
He then referenced their exit after the game sharing, “And then we just slid off in the getaway car at the end,” seemingly nodding to one of Swift’s songs, “Getaway Car.” “Took my Chevelle to the game … shout out to Taylor for coming through and seeing me rock the stage.”
Kelce kicked off an Oct. 6 press conference by telling reporters he was thrilled with the Chiefs’ three consecutive wins and was focused on “trying to get to four in a row” that Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The NFL star added, “As all the attention comes … it feels like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now I’m even more on top of the world.”
In response to how he’s been handling all of the new eyes on him amid the rumored relationship with Swift, the tight end said he’s “learning” how to navigate “paparazzi just taking photos from all over the place” after photographers have started waiting for him at his Kansas City home.
Kelce said he understands the territory that comes with Swift’s level of fame, however. “You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason,” he continued.
Going forward, the NFL star said he’s “just got to keep living and learning and enjoying the moments” as he and Swift enjoy getting to know one another on a public stage. Besides, “at the end of the day, I’ve always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building, so I’ll just keep rolling with that,” he added
As Taylor Swift’s extensive Eras Tour takes her overseas next year, questions surround how she and boyfriend Travis Kelce will navigate their bicoastal careers.
Sources say the separation has some doubting their fresh relationship will endure long-distance.
“There are fears that they won’t survive the separation,” a source said to a publication.
However, Swift and Kelce have prioritized supporting each other so far. The pop star flies her private jet to cheer on Kelce’s Chiefs around the NFL schedule. And the tight end spent his bye week at Swift’s concert in Argentina last month.
While skeptics question how long Swift’s interest may last, as with past relationships, insiders say this partnership seems different and committed between the head-over-heels celebrities. They’ve proudly shown their romance to the world since going public in September.
The tipster noted, “She lights up every time she sees Travis. She may finally have found ‘the one.'”
The Style hitmaker has altered song lyrics to serenade him from stage and packed on the PDA at post-game gatherings, a rarity for the private musician.
Kelce matches her affection, once covering his face in shy amusement during her concert when she sang, “karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me.”
