Hear ye, hear ye! Taylor Swift has a new man dating rumor in her life. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce set his sights on Taylor Swift during the US leg of her Eras tour, delighting everyone who likes to make sports puns and/or Swift lyrics references in daily conversation. Kelce made the first attempt at contacting Swift, reaching out at her tour’s KC stop and trying to give her his number. “She doesn’t meet anybody — or at least she didn’t want to meet me,” Kelce told his brother Jason on their New Heights podcast. “So, I took it personal.” He also told Jason he’d tried to pass her a friendship bracelet, but couldn’t make the completion: “I was a little butthurt that I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”
Swift was spotted in the stands September 24, shouting “Let’s fucking go!” when Kelce made a touchdown. How’d she get there? Here is the play-by-play of the dating rumors circling between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
2016: Kelce Plays “Kiss, Marry, Kill”
In an interview with Afterbuzz TV, Kelce plays a round of “Kiss, Marry, Kill” with Swift, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande. Like any sane person, Kelce objects to the interviewer keeping “kill” in there when “fuck” has been replaced with “kiss.” That says something very ugly about society, no? Kelce says he’d kill Grande, “kiss” Tayla, and marry Katy Perry. Mind you, this is when Perry and Swift were still beefing. Not until the “You Need to Calm Down” video, where Perry was the hamburger to Swift’s fries, did the two publicly end their feud. But it’s possible Kelce was too immersed in the ball-is-lifestyle to know about pop star feuds. (Wait until he hears about Perry and that nun.)
@etcanada Six years ago, Travis Kelce was playing “Kiss, Marry, Kill” to find his new *lover* 👀💍😘 #traviskelce #taylorswift #katyperry #arianagrande #throwback #taylorsversion
♬ original sound - ET Canada
February 2023: Brother vs. Brother
At Super Bowl LVII, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against Jason Kelce and the Philadelphia Eagles. Swift is an avowed Eagles fan, referencing the team in Evermore’s “Gold Rush.” This, dear friends, is what we in the fanfic biz call an enemies-to-lovers arc.
Kelce rubbed salt in his brother’s wound in his Saturday Night Live’s monologue, while also making reference to his canceled dating show Catching Kelce. So what you’re saying, Trav, is that you’re not averse to smooching on camera? Good to know, good to know.
April 2023: Taylor Swift Drops Joe Alwyn From her Roster
After six years of relative calm on the Taylor Swift dating rumors front, she and Joe Alwyn call it quits. A source told People that one of their biggest issues was Alwyn’s press-shy nature. “They had plenty in common and fell in love in a safe bubble while she was retreating from the world during Reputation,” the source said. “Then the pandemic hit, and they were locked down together and able to continue growing their relationship in this insulated way. But he didn’t really ‘know’ her yet outside of that bubble.” Once Swift was out of the bubble, Alwyn didn’t like the vibe. Reportedly, he didn’t let her be bejeweled. Swift is reported to briefly rebound with Matty Healy, but it fizzles out quickly.
July 2023: Kelce Shoots his Shot
Kelce makes it known that he’s trying to get to know Swift a little better. Kelce made a friendship bracelet for Swift with his phone number on it, and planned to give it to her at the Kansas City stop of the Eras Tour. Unfortunately for Kelce, Swift was gone before he could make contact. Kelce talks about his dashed hopes on his pod, with the show’s social media shouting out Kelce’s romantic mishaps’ official sponsor: Buffalo Wild Wings.
August 2023: Best Believe Kelce’s Still Be-Stached
In another New Heights ep, the Kelce bros talk about Trav’s new mustache. Apparently, Kelce does the ‘stache every training camp in honor of Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid. Jason asks if Travis knows what Swift thinks of the new facial hair. “We’re not gonna bring up Taylor Swift in this episode,” Travis says, “but something tells me she’s gonna like it.”
@wildcardgridiron Taylor Swift likes Travis Kelce’s moustache? 😂 (via @New Heights) #nfl #nflfootball #nflmemes #nfltiktok #nationalfootballleague #kansascitychiefs #traviskelce #andyreid #taylorswift #wildcardgridiron
♬ original sound - Wild Card Grid-Iron
Around this same time, Kelce takes his week off from training to visit New York. This is also the same time that Swift is recreating her 1989, “I’m getting papped taking my hot girl walks with my squad” era of living in New York. Swifties, being Swifties, connect the dots.
September 2023: Swift and Kelce are “Quietly Hanging Out”
A story from The Messenger says that “Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out” for months. The source says the pair got together when both were in New York (as hinted at in the Kelce Bros. pod). On TikTok, Grace Weissend theorizes that this is stage one of Eagles fan Swift emotionally destroying Kelce. The plan will culminate with Swift opening the Super Bowl halftime show in a bejeweled Eagles jersey and Louboutin boots. Alas, Usher has already been announced as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl. Unless he’s in on it too…
@stan.hathaway I see right through you @Taylor Swift #taylorswift #erastour #traviskelce87 #chiefs #chiefskingdom #traylor #tayvis #mentalillness
♬ original sound - grace weissend
September 17, 2023: CBS Opens the Pun Vault
CBS announcers poke fun at Travis Kelce’s newly acquired Swiftie status, referencing Swift’s 1989 era during a Chiefs v. Jaguars game. “Kelce finds a blank space for the score,” CBS announcer Ian Eagle said. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen did a preshow full of Swift references, which even Kelce acknowledged. “Well played Rich … Well played 👏🏻😂,” Kelce commented on IG.
September 20, 2023: Jason Jokes Around
During an interview on Philadelphia’s 94 WIP, Jason Kelce joking confirms rumors that his brother has been courting Swift. “It’s hard to answer ’cause I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening with Travis’s love life and I try to keep his business kind of his business and stay out of that world. But having said that, man, I think they’re doing great and I think it’s all 100 percent true,” he said, before immediately backpedaling. “No, I’m joking; I don’t know what’s happening.”
The next day, Travis Kelce goes on The Pat McAfee Show and admits he’s invited Swift to come watch him play. “I told her ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock a stage at Arrowhead and we can see which ones a little more lit,’” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the near future.”
September 24, 2023: Let’s Fucking GO!
Swift is spotted cheering on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, right next to Travis Kelce’s mom. When Kelce scored a touchdown, Swift appeared to yell “Let’s fucking go!” and chest bump her newfound Chiefs fan friends. As Swifties will know, Taylor Swift is an inveterate mom-meeter. So this is less of a big step than it may seem. But the pair were filmed leaving the stadium, papped in the getaway car, and rumored to have bought out an entire KC restaurant in order to dine privately.
@1989vinyl Holy shit, my friend just called me. Taylor paid for everyone’s meals, they had to leave. Not saying where. She is with Travis! #swiftie #taylorswift #traviskelceandtaylorswift #traviskelce #kansascitychiefs #taylorswiftandtraviskelce #arrowheadstadium
♬ original sound - Molly
