In case you somehow hadn’t heard, Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, all but confirming her recently-rumored relationship with Travis Kelce.
But while Fox decided to go all in on Swift’s presence during its broadcast, the coverage continued after the game thanks to Jarrett Payton.
Payton — the son of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who played in the NFL and CFL himself, and who now works as a sports anchor at Chicago’s WGN — happened to capture a video Swift and Kelce leaving Arrowhead Stadium together following Sunday’s game. While the four-second clip only shows a sheepish Kelce nodding at Payton and asking how he’s doing and Swift acknowledging the former Miami Hurricane with a “hey,” it provided the first glimpse of the rumored couple together.
Talk about being at the right place at the right time! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leaving Arrowhead together after the game. #Bears #ChiefsKingdom #NFL pic.twitter.com/wrMoDszOme
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) September 25, 2023
Much like its broadcast partner, the NFL isn’t shying away from the publicity afforded by one of its most famous players being in an apparent relationship with arguably the world’s biggest pop star. The NFL’s official X account reposted Payton’s video — which as of Monday morning has been viewed 11 million times — tagging both Swift and Kelce in the post.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1706117043282751881
Even the famously tight-lipped Bill Belichick — a noted Swiftie — has weighed in on the rumored romance, telling WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Monday: “Travis Kelce has had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest.”
"Travis Kelce has had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest."
Bill Belichick shares his thoughts on Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift! pic.twitter.com/kShgbLqnF0— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) September 25, 2023
While Kelce has emerged as arguably the face of the NFL — a rarity for a non-quarterback — dating back to “The Kelce Bowl” earlier this year, it’s clear that his rumored relationship with Swift has catapulted his fame to an even higher level. It will be interesting to see whether Swift becomes a fixture at Chiefs’ games moving forward and, if so, how much the league continues to leverage her newfound connection to the league.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.