Not to spill the tea here, but Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift are now apparently an item. It’s the talk at all the water coolers and training tables in the NFL, just in case you haven’t heard. And if you haven’t? Then apparently you haven’t been paying attention, because The League is doing its damndest to make you take notice.
Travis Kelce in the end zone at Arrowhead Stadium | SCREENSHOT: Craig Ambrosio/YouTube
Never in the history of pro sports has any pro league clutched the pearls as hard as the NFL has for Swift, the multitalented megastar who just concluded a billion-dollar summer tour. She came home to reveal to the world that she’s a big football fan. Even more specifically, a fan of Kelce, the Pro Bowl pass catcher with the pearly white smile.
It’s a perfect pop culture pairing and the NFL has covered it all in a way that would make Tiger Beat magazine proud.
Realizing they had a golden opportunity, the National Football League has promoted (some would say exploited) the Taylor Swift situation to the fullest. And it’s starting to grate on everyone after just a couple of weeks. That sentiment is starting to build – from the fans to the pundits like Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy, to even the man at the center of it all. Even Travis Kelce himself has said the NFL has gone a little too far trying to be all Taylor, all the time.
RELATED: Raiders Fan Decked In The Face At Chargers Game
On a recent podcast that he does with his brother – Eagles lineman Jason Kelce – Travis said that the frequent cutaways to Taylor Swift during Sunday Night Football were overdone.
“Is the NFL overdoing it?” Jason asked Travis on the podcast. “Take away your feelings for Taylor Swift.”
“I think it’s fun when they show who all is at the game,” Travis answered. “I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, they’re overdoing it a little bit for sure… especially my situation. I think they’re trying to have fun with it.”
Travis Kelce, during in a post-game press conference (2022) | SCREENSHOT: Kansas City Chiefs/YouTube
Following Travis Kelce’s comments, the NFL actually issued an official statement on the matter.
“We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,” the league stated, regarding the coverage of the story on the NFL’s Twitter and Instagram feeds.
“The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real-time, as it’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport. The vast majority of our content has remained focused on the game, our players and a variety of other initiatives, including our Toy Story Funday Football alt-cast, the international games and more.”
So, despite all the criticism the NFL has received for how they’ve handled the presence of Taylor Swift. Right now? It appears they are choosing to just shake it off.
Follow Ryan Boman on X
NEXT: Sales Of Travis Kelce’s Jersey EXPLODE Following Taylor Swift’s Appearance At Chiefs Game