Travis Kelce shared that Taylor Swift is certainly not pushing for him to retire from the Kansas City Chiefs, saying that she loves to cheer him on and watch him “chasing these dreams.”
Taylor Swift doesn’t necessarily want the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to her.
According to Travis Kelce, the “Karma” singer is not, in fact, encouraging him to hang up his NFL jersey and retire from the Kansas City Chiefs.
“She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” Travis shared on the Stephen A. Smith Show Jan. 15. “She loves coming to Arrowhead and coming to the games and cheering for me so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.”
And the NFL tight end believes that having such stability in his personal life—and having Taylor’s support throughout the season—has without a doubt made him a better player this season.
“That’s the beauty of being in a very strong relationship,” Travis explained, “is that you get that support to be able to come in and focus on your craft. Focus on being the best version of you.”
In fact, that was the reason the 35-year-old made sure to attend as many performances of Taylor’s Eras Tour as possible, saying, “I wanted to be at the concerts supporting her and being there for her making sure she feels comfortable and supported in everything she’s doing in life.”
“I think I’m as focused as I’ve ever been on my job and being the best player I can possibly be, week in and week out for this team,” Travis added, “And it’s because I don’t have to worry about things off the field.”
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Throughout their relationship, Travis and Taylor have not shied away from very publicly cheering for each other—which Taylor has been incredibly grateful for.
“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves,” the 35-year-old told Time in 2023, “we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care.”
Taylor continued, “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”
For a look back at Taylor and Travis’ love story, just say yes and keep reading.
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July 2023: So, Make the Friendship Bracelets
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story began in July 2023, when the singer’s Eras Tour made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
As a huge Swiftie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught the show with hopes of giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it. However, he failed to complete the pass due to her pre-show rituals.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis shared on the July 26 episode of his New Heights podcast. “So, I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
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Summer 2023: This Is Him Trying
After publicly recounting his fumble—a move Taylor would later describe as “metal as hell”—Travis decided to shoot his shot and invite the Grammy winner to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court,” he shared on The Pat McAfee Show. “I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit.’ So, we’ll see what happens in the near future.”
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August 2023: Enchanted to Meet You
Travis was rocking a mustache—which he debuted in August during training camp—when he was first introduced to Taylor.
As he later noted of the era, “That ‘stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit, and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time.”
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September 2023: Sparks Fly
By early September, a source close to the situation told E! News that Travis and Taylor were “texting and talking here and there.”
“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”
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September 2023: Cheer Captain
Accepting Travis’ invite, Taylor joined the athlete’s mom Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium to watch him and the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. After the game, Taylor and Travis were seen packing PDA at a local bar.
Though folklore had it that it was the couple’s first in-person meeting, the “Karma” singer later clarified the two had spent a “significant amount of time” getting to know each other beforehand.
As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”
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October 2023: Team Up
As an indication that the relationship was heating up, Taylor brought her squad—including friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter and Antoni Porowski—to watch the Chiefs play against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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October 2023: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
Another sign that Travis could be The 1? Taylor started bonding with Brittany Mahomes—the wife of Travis’ BFF and teammate Patrick Mahomes—in and outside of NFL games.
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October 2023: Welcome to New York
The couple took their romance to TV, making a surprise appearance on the Oct. 14 episode of Saturday Night Live. Their Big Apple takeover also included the after-party for the NBC sketch show and a date night at the Waverly Inn.
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November 2023: Karma Is Her Boyfriend
During a bye week, Travis traveled down to Argentina to catch the South American leg of Taylor’s Eras Tour. Not only did the NFL star bond with Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, at the Nov. 11 show in Buenos Aires, but he also got a special shoutout from the stage.
“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”
After the show, the Midnights artist was seen running up to Travis backstage and greeting him with a passionate kiss.
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December 2024: Speak Now
Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.
“I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she told Time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone.”
