Timeline of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship with the NFL, explained
NFL legends agree on Taylor Swift: “Her presence brings more attention to the sport”
USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa talks to some of football’s biggest names at the Gannett NFL Legends Party about how Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s romance has affected football.
The romance that has dominated sports and entertainment headlines for over a year began in the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Star tight end Travis Kelce attended a Taylor Swift concert at Arrowhead Stadium in July 2023. He later revealed to his older brother Jason Kelce on their podcast “New Heights” that he was armed with a personalized friendship bracelet with his phone number on it that he wanted to give to Swift.
Kelce never got to give her the bracelet, but eventually met Swift when his plans to woo her at the concert became public. After weeks of rumors, Swift showed up in Kelce’s suite at Arrowhead Stadium last September at the Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears, and their relationship became part of national and international conversations, including whether Swift was being shown too often on television at Kansas City games.
Swift and Kelce are still together, even when the 2024 NFL season begins and the Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game on Thursday night. Some Swifties are hoping for a proposal soon. But football will likely remain a popular place to catch a glimpse of the future Hall of Fame tight end and his superstar girlfriend.
Here’s a timeline of their relationship and how the NFL is inextricably linked to perhaps the most famous couple in the world right now:
WHAT WE KNOW: Will Taylor Swift attend the Chiefs game against the Ravens on Thursday?
Timeline of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship
- July 8, 2023: Travis Kelce attended Taylor Swift’s second concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
- 24 September 2023: Taylor Swift accepted an invitation from Kelce, making it public during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” and attended the Chiefs’ 41-10 victory over the Chicago Bears in Kansas City, Missouri. She sat in a suite with Kelce’s mother, Donna, and wore a red and white Chiefs jacket. Kelce caught a touchdown in the game and was later spotted leaving Arrowhead Stadium with Swift. Kelce reportedly rented out the Prime Social Rooftop, a Kansas City restaurant, for Swift, his family and teammates that night.
- October 1, 2023: Swift attended the Chiefs’ 23-20 road victory over the New York Jets and arrived at MetLife Stadium accompanied by fellow celebs and friends Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Hugh Jackman, Sophie Turner and Sabrina Carpenter. Kelce, who had seven catches for 69 yards in the game, was photographed leaving Swift’s New York apartment before facing the Jets.
- October 12, 2023: Swift returned to a suite at Arrowhead Stadium a day after the premiere of her film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in Los Angeles as the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos in a Thursday night game. Kelce had nine pass catches for 124 yards, the most of the game.
- October 14, 2023: Swift and Kelce appeared on the season premiere of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Swift introduced musical artist Ice Spice. Kelce did a skit poking fun at all the coverage his relationship with Swift had generated in the NFL.
- October 22, 2023: Swift attended the Chiefs’ 31-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce’s parents and Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Swift wore a No. 87 bracelet during the game.
- October 30, 2023: The Denver Broncos played Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” over the loudspeakers after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 24-9 in Denver. Swift was not in attendance at the game.
- 3 November 2023: Kelce was asked if he was in love with Swift during a press conference in Germany before the Chiefs’ 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins. “I will keep my personal relationship private,” Kelce said.
- 11 November 2023: Kelce attended Swift’s concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the Chiefs’ off week. During the show, Swift changed the lyrics of her 2022 hit “Karma” to “Karma is the guy from the Chiefs that comes right to my house.”
- December 3, 2023: Swift was there for the Chiefs’ first loss – a 27-19 defeat at Green Bay on Monday Night Football – and sat in a suite at Lambeau Field with Brittany Mahomes.
- December 6, 2023: Swift opened up about her relationship with Kelce for the first time in an interview with Time when she was named Person of the Year. Swift revealed that she and Kelce started “going out” and “hanging out” shortly after the concert Kelce attended in July and long before she attended the Bears game in September.
- December 10, 2023: Swift played in the Chiefs’ 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.
- 17 December 2023: Swift attended the Chiefs’ 27-17 away win over the New England Patriots with her father and friends Alaina Haim and Ashley Avignone.
- December 25, 2023: Swift attended the Chiefs’ 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium with her parents and brother, wearing a Santa hat with the number 87 embroidered on it. Her brother dressed up as Santa, and Kelce later revealed on his podcast that Austin Swift gave him a VHS copy of “Little Giants,” his favorite football movie.
- December 31, 2023: Swift played in the Chiefs’ 25-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals before spending New Year’s Eve with Kelce in Kansas City.
- January 13, 2024: Swift attended the Chiefs’ AFC Wild Card round playoff win over the Miami Dolphins wearing a jacket with Kelce’s No. 87 on it to brave temperatures that dropped below zero at kickoff.
- January 21, 2024: Swift attended the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional Round road victory over the Buffalo Bills with Jason and Kylie Kelce. Jason Kelce was pictured shirtless drinking a beer in her suite at Highmark Stadium. Travis Kelce, meanwhile, made a heart gesture with his hands toward Swift’s suite as he caught a touchdown pass.
- January 28, 2024: Swift was at the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game road victory over the Baltimore Ravens and shared the field with Kelce for the first time. Swift came down from her suite to join Kelce’s parents in the on-field celebration after the Chiefs clinched a spot in the Super Bowl. She even shared a moment with Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
- February 11, 2024: Swift attended the Chiefs’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, a day after her performance in Tokyo. During the game, Swift was seen on the Allegiant Stadium video board with Blake Lively, sipping her drink. After the game, she and Kelce hugged on the field in a moment captured by NFL cameras. “Thanks for coming, baby,” Kelce said, and Swift said, “Oh, I can’t believe this.” Kelce and Swift later celebrated together by singing and dancing to Swift’s music at a Las Vegas nightclub.
- June 13, 2024: Swift was spotted watching Chariah Gordon’s Instagram Live from the Chiefs’ Super Bowl ring ceremony while stopping in Liverpool, England on her Eras Tour. Gordon is the fiancée of Kansas City wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
- 22 June 2024: Kelce appeared in an Instagram post by Swift that showed a selfie with Prince William and his children after an Eras tour show at Wembley Stadium in London.
- 23 June 2024: Kelce joins Swift for a cameo in her show at Wembley Stadium.
- 24 August 2024: Swift and Kelce were spotted together at their Rhode Island mansion on a weekend getaway during a break after the Chiefs’ final preseason game, along with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, Jason and Kylie Kelce, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid, and Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz.
- 4 September 2024: Kelce confirmed a rumor started by Patrick Mahomes that Swift had started drawing plays during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “She’s a little biased and just draws plays for me,” Kelce said.
