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Travis Kelce Makes Cheeky Nod to Taylor Swift After Playoff Win
The Tortured Poets Department may be nominated for five Grammys, but it's Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's mutual admiration society that's made for the most winning collaboration of the year.
Over the course of their togetherness, Taylor and Travis have turned supporting each other into a spectator sport, fans anxiously scanning the crowd in stadiums all over the world for the S.O. of whoever is performing at any given time, be it on a stage or a field.
And while The Eras Tour may be over, the 2024-25 NFL postseason continues with Travis' Kansas City Chiefs playing in their seventh straight AFC Championship Game Feb. 26 in hopes of a chance at their third consecutive Super Bowl win (which would be their fourth title in six years).
"When you say a relationship is public, that means 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," Taylor told TIME in 2023 when the magazine named her Person of the Year. "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 where is the fun—let alone the normalcy—in that?
Though Taylor was in the home stretch of The Eras Tour this past fall, she made it to seven Chiefs games during the regular season—almost as many as the nine she attended in 2023, her first season dating the boy on the football team.
Michael Owens/Getty Images
For his part, Travis ultimately caught 14 of her concerts, even playing a supporting role June 23 in London before he had to report to training camp.
And while there's a tidy sum to be made trading in "Go Taylor's Boyfriend" merch, the 6-foot-5 tight end has taken his secondary moniker in stride—"It's the life I chose," he said in September—as his Chiefs piled up the wins en route to their 10th straight playoff appearance.
And naturally she made it to their first playoff game Jan. 18, seeing as how the Chiefs secured home field advantage for the division round (and again for tonight's game against the Buffalo Bills), the security logistics just easier when she sticks to her suite at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
But once the Eras Tour was over, Taylor taking her final bow Dec. 8 in Vancouver, all eyes were on whether the artist would be more consistently by Travis' side—and vice versa.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Not that she needs to be, or should be. But seeing as how the couple's entire love story to date had unfolded while Taylor was on her 21-month, $2.2 billion-grossing musical odyssey, shippers will be anxious to see if the alchemy holds.
An inevitability she knows all too well.
But so far the Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? host has proved he's pretty darn savvy, throwing an Eras-themed surprise party for Swift's 35th birthday that also gave her a chance to celebrate reaching the end zone of her historic tour.
Which, incidentally, brought her and Travis together in the first place.
Travis nursed a crush on Taylor for who knows how long beforehand, but it was in July 2023 that the athlete was denied a chance to give the singer his phone number via friendship bracelet during her tour's stop in Kansas City. However, he was able to talk about being thwarted on his and brother Jason Kelce's New Heights podcast afterward.
Taylor deemed Travis making his intentions known to millions of people "metal as hell," telling TIME, "We started hanging out right after that."
A year and a half later, their feelings have yet to calm down.
Marveling over the "f--k ton" of shows Taylor played, Travis said on the Dec. 11 New Heights, "It’s insane. Absolutely insane. Over 10 million people in the stands over the course of it, like cumulatively. It’s pretty crazy."
And having received an up-close-and-personal view of how the production came together night after night, Travis was giving an expert opinion when he deemed it "the best tour in the world because of a lot of people."
He quickly added, "And mostly because of Taylor."
In the meantime, Taylor has been welcomed into Travis' family fold—it's Jason and parents Ed Kelce and Donna Kelce who've fielded the most questions about their relationship—while her mom Andrea Swift, dad Scott Swift and brother Austin Swift joined her for the Chiefs' Christmas game last year.
And the Kelces anticipated another cozy holiday, Ed advising anyone planning to give Taylor a gift to "dig down and come up with something special."
"The amount of money is meaningless," Travis' dad said on the Dec. 12 episode of the Baskin & Phelps podcast. "You're not going to crush Taylor Swift with a gift that cost, you know, $100,000."
He continued, "Get something that tweaks the strings of her heart that you spend 10 bucks on and then she'll just be all gooey."
Perry Knotts/Getty Images
Jason also got the memo that "something sentimental" would be best for Travis' girlfriend, who's known for her generosity and the personal touches she puts on carefully curated presents.
"I think a macaroni necklace," he said with a smile on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "It works on me with my kids very well."
And if macaroni friendship necklaces become the new trend, Jason is happy to take full credit.
So whether it's gonna be forever or not is beside the point.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Travis and Taylor have lifted each other up in the sweetest of ways, while also building a bridge between two seemingly disparate fandoms.
"It could last a week. It could last a year," NFL commentator Greg Olsen remarked on Erin Andrews' and Charissa Thompson's Calm Down podcast in October 2023 as Taylor mania took hold across the league. "They could marry each other for 50 years. I don't know, but whatever this is, it's amazing."
Astute analysis, as always.
So while Taylor and Travis are focusing on their own game plan, go back to the beginning to see their first play and every yard they've gained along the way:
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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."
JC Olivera/Getty Images
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."
Michael Owens/Getty Images
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."
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy / David Eulitt/Getty Images
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."
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
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."
Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
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.
David Eulitt/Getty Images
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.
Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
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."
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
December 2023: You, Who Charmed Her Dad
The music superstar turned Travis' Dec. 17 game into a family affair, bringing her dad to cheer on her man.
Gotham/GC Images
January 2024: All the Midnights
Taylor and Travis spent their first New Year's Eve together, sharing a romantic kiss when the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1.
Kathryn Riley / Contributor (Getty Images)
January 2024: Chosen Family
Continuing to bond with Travis' family, Taylor hung out with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Chiefs' game against the Buffalo Bills.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
January 2024: Saved by the Perfect Kiss
Taylor joined Travis on the football field when the Chiefs won the AFC Championship, a victory that cemented the team's spot in the 2024 Super Bowl. The couple shared a celebratory kiss before exchanging the L-word.
"Tay, I'm gonna enjoy with the guys," he told her. "I love you—so much it's not funny."
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
February 2024: Super Bowl Champs
The pair locked lips on the field after Travis led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
TikTok
February 2024: TikTok Official
Taylor posted footage of Travis on social media for the first time Feb. 12, poking fun at how she took her parents clubbing with the athlete after the Super Bowl.
Instagram / Taylor Swift
June 2024: Instagram Official
Taylor's first Instagram pic featuring Travis was a selfie of the two with Prince William and his and wife Kate Middleton's eldest kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage at the singer's Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
June 2024: Travis' Eras Tour Stage Debut
While attending his seventh Eras tour concert, and second show at London's Wembley Stadium, the NFL star joined his girlfriend onstage as a backup performer during her performance of "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."
September 2024: Back in the Game
Taylor joined Travis for the Chief's first game of the regular 2024-25 season and appeared to re-enact a PDA moment from October 2023 in this photo shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Janet Mayer / Splash by Shutterstock
September 2024: Wedding Date
The two attended model Karen Elson's wedding to Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster in New York City.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
September 2024: U.S. Open Date
XNY/Star Max/GC Images
October 2024: Double Date
The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.
TheStewartofNY/GC Images
December 2024
The pair stepped out for two back-to-back dates in New York City over the last weekend of 2024, matching outfits both times.
(Originally published Dec. 14, 2024, at 3 a.m. PT)
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