Another touchdown for the Swifites! Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have sparked dating rumors, garnering huge media attention along the way. While their relationship status has not been explicitly confirmed by the couple, fans are certain that lucky 13 — Swift’s current number of boyfriends (and her lucky number) — must be the one.
To most people’s surprise, this unexpected match has been “a long time coming”. This summer, during her Eras Tour, she performed in the Chiefs’ stadium, Arrowhead Stadium. Kelce was in attendance alongside some of his teammates and later shared on his podcast “New Heights” that he was disappointed he hadn’t gotten to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. Kelce didn’t stop there: in an interview with the Pat McAfee show, he publicly invited Swift to watch one of his games, putting the ball in her court.
Finally, on Sunday, September 24, Swift returned the favor, attending the Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game in the Kelce box alongside Kelce’s mom. It was a win-win for everyone: the more games Swift showed up to, it seemed, the more attention the Chiefs received. He gained 383,000 new Instagram followers and changed his handle to @killatrav, which fans assumed to be in reference to Swift’s song “Ready For It?” A Forbes article reported that Kelce’s jersey sales increased 400% after the Chief vs. Bears game, putting him in the top five NFL jersey sellers. Additionally, ticket sales increased by three times as Swifties discovered their newfound interest in football, and viewership spiked like never before.
Meanwhile, the NFL was having a field day: using Swift’s lyrics during commentary, her songs during commercials and even temporarily changing their Instagram bio to “Chiefs are 2–0 as Swifites,” referencing the impact Swift had made on the Chiefs winning streak. The media leaned into the hype, and Swifties were just glad that Swift’s previous fling with musician Matt Healy could be forgotten. Once the impact the two were making set in, the phrase “Taylor Swift put Travis Kelce on the map” began circulating. Funny, but not completely lacking in truth.
Anyone who watches football knows Kelce — who has a Super Bowl win under his belt — as he is considered to be one of the best tight ends in the league. However, the economic impact their relationship is giving Kelce and the NFL is clear. So Kelce may have already been on the map, but Swift definitely made him global. The moral of the story seems to be: never underestimate the power of teenage girls and their undying dedication. Overall, this match made in heaven, two ‘89 babies, I truly hope Tayvis — the ship name of Swift and Kelce — is endgame.
