It seems that Taylor Swift‘s world domination is well underway as she takes over one of the least expected realms of pop culture – the American National Football League (NFL).
Swift seems to be the name on every announcer, commentator, and talk show host’s lips as they scramble to learn her discography in hopes of sneaking in a cheeky reference when talking about Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
Rumours have been circulating for a month or two now that the two have been seeing each other, but neither Swift or Kelce have confirmed the speculation.
However, Kelce’s brother Jason appeared to have let the cat out of the bag. Speaking on the WIP Morning Show in America, he (seemingly) joked about the pair being “100 per cent together”.
“I think they’re doing great, and I think it’s all 100 per cent true and I hope that this thing goes the mile,” he revealed. But fans still won’t believe it until Swift confirms it herself.
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With no official evidence, it’s impossible to confirm or deny if the couple really are a couple.
What we can do though, in the name of public service, is compile a detailed and comprehensive list of all the evidence for and against the theory.
So, take a look below and decide for yourself if you believe the ‘Travlor’ rumours are true.
Who is Travis Kelce?
Travis Kelce is a household name in the US, but us Aussies might not know as much about the NFL super star.
So, here’s everything you need to know about Taylor Swift’s rumoured beau.
Kelce is a professional NFL player in the US, and could definitely be considered as one of the leagues most eligible bachelors.
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Born October 5, 1989 (making him the same age as Swift) in Westlake Ohio, he played college football for University of Cincinnati and was a third round draft pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
Currently, Kelce is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and holds multiple records within the league.
While the position of ‘tight end’ might not mean much to us Aussies, the rough translation would be: a VERY tall and incredibly athletic hunk of a man.
Kelce is 6 ‘5 ” with a net-worth of about $20 million (the important stuff).
The 33-year-old has won two Super Bowls, including this year where he faced off against older brother and close friend, Jason Kelce who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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At her Philadelphia concert earlier this year, Swift actually took the opportunity to clarify the confusion surrounding the lyric in Gold Rush that refers to an Eagles t-shirt.
“I don’t know how large the debate was, but I did see the debate,” she said. “I have a lyric that says, ‘With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door.’ I saw some people wondering if it was the band the Eagles or the team the Eagles, and I love the band the Eagles, but guys, come on. I’m from Philly. Of course it’s the team.”
Kelce family dinners might be a little bit awkward.
Despite the two brothers’ NFL fame, there is a third Kelce that is known to steal the spotlight.
Donna Kelce, aka ‘Mama Kelce’, seems to be a fan favourite, making a splash in the headlines with her iconic Super Bowl outfit this year.
Some ‘Travlor’ fans have even gotten a bit ahead of themselves, speculating around the adorable friendship that could be blossoming between Mama Kelce and Mama Swift.
Finally, we’ve now made it to possibly the most entertaining piece of information on Mr. Kelce – the super star athlete had his very own dating show back in 2016.
Yes, you read that right, his very own dating show titled, ‘Catching Kelce’ which was described by Rolling Stone as having an ‘awkward, undeniable charm’.
The premise of the Bachelor-esque reality show was that he would date 50 women, one from each American state, in hopes of finding his soulmate – a seemingly foolproof plan.
Unfortunately for Kelce, it didn’t work out too well.
At the end of the show, he chose to pursue a relationship with contestant Maya Benberry but the couple broke up just a few months later.
Earlier this year on The Pivot podcast, Kelce said that he doesn’t necessarily regret doing the show, but summed up his experience as ‘extremely awkward’.
He confessed that he originally turned down the offer multiple times before eventually accepting due to financial reasons after he blew through his first few NFL paychecks a bit too quickly.
Kelce’s previous dating history also includes on-air sports reporter Kayla Nicole who he dated on and off for five years.
Among everything else, Kelce is also known for his impeccable fashion sense, adorable relationship with his nieces, and confident dance moves.
He once even said, “I wouldn’t even say I’m really good at dancing. I’d say I’m not shy to move.”
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumoured dating timeline
JULY 7 – Travis Kelce goes to the Eras Tour in Kansas City
Kelce attended the Eras Tour at his team’s home stadium on July 7.
His appearance sent some Kansas City Chiefs fans at the concert into a frenzy, but aside from that, not much was thought of it at the time.
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JULY 26 – Kelce reveals the truth behind his Eras Tour Attendance
This is where the rumour mill began to spin.
On July 26, Kelce went on his podcast New Heights that he co-hosts with his brother Jason, and shared the details behind what really went down at the Eras Tour.
“I was disappointed she doesn’t talk before or after her shows,” Travis said.
He told his brother he was ‘a little butthurt’ he didn’t get to give Swift one of the friendship bracelets he made for her, explaining to Jason that friendship bracelets are a huge part of Swift’s tour.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Kelce then toldhis brother he had made a bracelet to give to Swift with his number on it.
“Your number as in 87 [Kelce’s jersey number] or your phone number?” Jason asked.
Travis then replied with a smirk, “you know which one.”
Jason also provided a possible explanation as to why the international popstar didn’t take the time to meet Kelce, saying “she probably just hasn’t gotten over the Super Bowl yet, she’s a big Eagles fan.”
JULY 29 – Swift sings Stay, Stay, Stay as one of her surprise songs
Some eagle eyed fans noted that at her show following the release of Kelce’s podcast, Swift chose to sing Stay, Stay, Stay as one of her surprise songs, a song that directly references a ‘football helmet’.
Now if this were anyone else aside from Swift, you could call this one a bit of a reach, however, the pop star is known for providing her fans with sneaky little ‘easter eggs’ clues into the inner workings of her life.
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JULY 29 – Swift posts a TikTok (maybe) in Chiefs merch
Following her show, Swift posted a TikTok of her dad riding a Segway backstage while she rides in front in a golf buggy.
In the video, we get a quick glimpse of Swift wearing a black jacket covering a gold t-shirt with a red collar – the Chiefs team colours.
A funny little coincidence, or maybe a gift from the Chiefs star player himself?
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AUGUST 2 – Kelce is asked about Swift in a post game interview
The NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano directly asked Kelce if he really had his phone number on a friendship bracelet to give to Swift, to which Kelce replied, “I said what I said and I meant what I said when I said it.”
“It is what it is, I’m not going to talk about my personal life. I know what you writers wanna hear, you wanna hear more about that and I’m not gonna give you anything,” he laughed.
Siciliano continued to press Kelce with more questions about Swift, which the athlete quickly shut down.
However, Siciliano was quick to point out that Kelce didn’t actually deny anything.
Siciliano reposted the video on his Instagram on September 14, with the caption, “This might be worth reposting from August 2nd. @killatrav @taylorswift.”
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SEPT 1 – Jason Kelce brings up Swift on the New Heights podcast
The brothers were discussing Travis’ choice to sport some new facial hair, when Jason posed the question, “have you found out what Taylor Swift thinks of your moustache?”
Travis responded, “um, yeah we’re not going to bring up Taylor Swift in this episode,” which was met by laughter from both him and his brother.
Travis is then quick to add, “but something tells me she’s gonna like it.”
Plenty of fans were also quick to notice the font on Travis’ t-shirt, likening it to the font of Swift’s Reputation album which is speculated to be her next re-release.
Another Easter egg maybe?
If you want to listen to the interaction for yourself, head to 38:29 on episode 51 of the New Heights podcast.
AUGUST 7 – Swift performs Dress as her surprise song
If you’re deep into ‘Travlor’ TikTok you would have seen the speculation surrounding Swift’s choice to perform ‘Dress’ as one of her surprise songs.
Since the US writes their dates backwards to ours, August 7 is written as 8/7, look familiar?
Well, that’s because you might be recognising 87 as Kelce’s jersey number.
In the song Dress, Swift also has a line referring to a buzzcut, a hairstyle Kelce is known to sport.
Now this one is technically another loose connection, but knowing Swift anything could be a clue.
AUGUST 22 – Deux Moi says nothing is going on between the pair
Celebrity gossip account Duex Moi responded to an Instagram Q&A question asking for an explanation regarding the relationship between Swift and Kelce.
“There is no connection. Zero going on between them,” they reported.
SEPT 6 – Travis Kelce films New Heights while wearing a questionable t-shirt
Possibly the most damning piece of evidence for ‘Travlor’ supporters is the fact that he appeared on a recent episode of his podcast in a John Mayer T-shirt.
Fans have been quick to point out that there is no way Swift would be dating someone who outwardly supports her infamous ex, but others are saying they might just be trying to throw us off the scent.
SEPT 8 – Deux Moi reports the two went on a date together
Contrary to their Instagram story on August 22, Deux Moi was first to report any kind of in person interaction between the pair.
“I got a message this week, this was very interesting,” the anonymous voice behind the account began, “Taylor Swift had made an appointment to go somewhere that she frequents… with Travis kelce.”
SEPT 12 – Kelce documentary premieres
Jason Kelce is the subject of new Amazon Prime documentary Kelce that premiered on September 12.
Although it doesn’t have a direct correlation to the ‘Travlor’ rumours, fans have been speculating that the Kelce brothers have only been feeding into the speculation to create hype around their name ahead of the documentary’s release.
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SEPT 12 – ET reports that a source says the two are ‘hanging out’
Entertainment Tonight reported that a source confirmed the pair are not officially dating but have been ‘hanging out’.
According to the source, “Travis has been into Taylor for a while and definitely has a crush on her. He is a simple guy that is very funny, charismatic, chill, and loves playing football.”
SEPT 13 – Pat McAfee talks about the rumours
American sports analyst Pat McAfee was confident enough in the rumours to broach the subject on his self titled ESPN talk show.
He started off the segment by saying, “the lady that sells out every stadium in the world 10 times… the lady who plays for three and a half hours in the rain and Bill Belichik says, ‘she’s pretty tough man’, said, ‘you know what, the man of my dreams that I’m gonna marry, this isn’t just date like others in the past, is an NFL guy.”
McAfee spoke about how ‘stoked’ he is for Kelce, saying that the rumoured couple are going to ‘take over the world’.
He then issued Kelce with a stern warning, “Trav, what we’re saying to you is, treat her right.”
“You need to be a knight in shining armour,” he continued.
“You’re representing all of football… you’re the right man for the job.”
SEPT 13 – A source tells The Messenger the two have been quietly hanging out
Following the report from Entertainment Tonight, The Messenger released an article claiming a source told the publication the two had been spending some time together.
“Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out,” the source told The Messenger, “She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago.”
It’s unclear whether or not the source is the same person who spoke with Entertainment Tonight.
SEPT 14 – Jason Kelce is asked about the rumours in a post game interview
Following the Eagles v Vikings Thursday Night Football game, Jason Kelce sat down for a post game interview.
The interviewer asked Jason if he can comment on the rumours that his brother is dating ‘a certain popstar’, to which Jason responded, ‘I cannot comment on them.”
“Ever since ‘Catching Kelce’ everyone has been infatuated with Travis’ love life,” Jason added, “So, I don’t really know what’s going on there… I know Trav is having fun and we’ll see what happens with whoever he ends up with.”
Although he didn’t confirm the rumours, he definitely wasn’t denying them either.
SEPT 18 – NFL announcers sneak in Taylor Swift references during Kelce’s game
It was on September 18 that Swift’s takeover of the NFL really started to become obvious.
Commentators during the Chiefs v Jaguar game just couldn’t help themselves but sneak in a few Taylor Swift references.
“Kelce finds a Blank Space for the score,” says one commentator following Kelce receiving a pass in the end zone.
“Injured last week, he will Shake It Off for week two,” says another, referring to a bone bruise that prevented Kelce from playing in the first game of the season.
ESPN sports reporter Adam Schefter also had plenty to say prior to the game when asked about Kelce’s recovery.
“Travis Kelce, at this point in time, is trying to Shake It Off and get back out there,” he began.
“He knows how much he’s needed and that he’s The Man. It was a little bit of a Cruel Summer for Travis Kelce with that knee injury, but he can see the Daylight… He looks like he’s Ready For It,” said Schefter.
Rumours or not, the NFL at least seems to be having some fun with it.
SEPT 18 – Kelce comments on Rich Eisen’s compilation of Taylor Swift puns
Sports commentator, Rich Eisen joined in on the fun, posting a compilation of his Taylor Swift puns to Instagram and TikTok with the caption, “Look what you made me do, @killatrav.”
What really caught people’s attention was that shortly after the video was posted to Instagram, Kelce himself took to the comment section to say, “Well played Rich…. Well played 👏🏻😂.”
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SEPT 20 – Jason Kelce says the pair are ‘100%’ together
Travis Kelce’s brother, Jason called in to speak with WIP Morning Show hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie and confirmed that the rumours are ‘100%’ true.
DeCamara and Ritchie are having a debating whether or not the youngest Kelce brother is more attractive than Brad Pitt.
When the topic of Swift comes up, the hosts then ask Jason, “so how are they doin? How are those two doin?’
“It’s hard to answer because I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening with Travis’ love life,” Jason responded.
“I try to keep a, you know, his business is kind of his business I try to stay out of that world.
“But having said that, man, I think they’re doing great, and I think it’s all 100 per cent true and I hope that this thing goes the mile.”
Realising he may have said to much, Jason then added, “No, I’m joking. I don’t even know what’s happening.”
SEPT 20 – A source confirms Swift and Kelce are ‘having fun’
A source spoke to The Messenger, confirming that the pair have been spending some time together and are just ‘having fun’.
”She and Travis have hung out twice, and it’s nothing serious. She thinks he is very charming, and they have been texting this last week,” the insider shared.
“He is a little embarrassed at how much attention they are getting, but he has told her he would love to continue seeing her.”
“They are seeing where things go.”
The source also made it clear that Swift and Kelce are not exclusive, sharing that Kelce has some stiff competition and that Swift is, “”in her fun girl era and strictly having fun right now.”
“Her friends are always playfully suggesting people to set her up with,” the source said.
Again, it’s unclear whether this is the same source that previously spoke with The Messenger on the topic or that spoke with Entertainment Tonight earlier this month.
Keep your eyes posted on this space for all the updates on Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
