• Tory Barron, ESPN EditorJun 23, 2024, 06:38 PM ET

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      Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports.

There are few things that could captivate NFL fans and pop culture savants like the love story of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and global superstar Taylor Swift.

In this life, Swift will do things greater than dating the boy on the football team (that’s a “Fifteen” reference to the untrained eye), but that doesn’t stop us from being intrigued.

After weeks of speculation, the singer-songwriter was at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 3 of the 2023-24 season to watch Kelce and the Chiefs defeat the Chicago Bears. In Week 4, she ran it back with an appearance at MetLife Stadium to watch the Chiefs’ showdown with the New York Jets. The Swift sightings added ample fuel to the duo’s already formidable hype train.

While haters said it was all a sham — sitting in a suite beside Donna Kelce was a far cry from the privacy measures Swift took while dating actor Joe Alwyn — they need(ed) to calm down.

The fact that Kelce and Swift were both born in 1989 and that the former wears red on the football field clearly lent credence to the relationship. If the aforementioned arbitrary reasons didn’t sell you, Swift’s frequent appearances at Chiefs games this season and Kelce’s trip to Argentina should have done the trick.

On the off chance you’re still not convinced, here’s a look at the timeline of the whirlwind romance:

‘So Long, London’ — June 23

Kelce is plenty familiar with the Eras Tour from the crowd perspective, but he made his on-stage debut on the tour’s third night at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The star pass-catcher joined Swift’s crew of backup dancers, donning a matching old-fashioned black-and-white fit, complete with a top hat. He carried her after she theatrically fell to the ground following her performance of “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” before helping to ”revive” Swift before she moved on to her next song, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

‘Love Story’ — Feb. 12

OK, so Kelce might not have knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring after the victory as No. 13 conspiracy theorists, er — Swifties predicted, but this night (read: early morning) was still sparkling.

In a tale of two celebrations, Kelce and Swift were spotted at a Super Bowl afterparty dancing to her 2008 hit song “Love Story.” Meanwhile, Jason Kelce — who can always be counted upon to bring the energy — partied nearby.

Dancing with your boyfriend to a song you wrote about finding love when you were 19 years old? Hits different.

On an unrelated note, if Jason were to pursue professional wrestling in his post-football life, that endeavor would likely go well for him.

‘Today Was A Fairytale’ — Feb. 11

Swift’s team won a Super Bowl in her rookie NFL season.

In the singer-songwriter’s 13th appearance at a Chiefs game, she got to watch her boyfriend hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a third time.

Dare we say, they are in love, true love.

‘…Ready for it?’ — Feb. 11

Let the games begin. After much hypothesizing over whether Swift could make it to Las Vegas on Sunday — following the singer-songwriter’s Eras Tour concert stop in Tokyo on Saturday — she arrived at Allegiant Stadium.

Swift was spotted entering the stadium with her mom (s/o Mama Swift), Ice Spice and Blake Lively.

‘Long Live’ — Jan. 28

Long live Killa Tay.

Yep, that is a super cool couple moniker comprising a combination of Kelce’s nickname, “Killa Trav,” and the name he affectionately calls the pop superstar, “Tay.” Ingenious, we know.

In what could be construed as a testament to the seriousness of their relationship, Swift went down to the field after the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens to celebrate Kelce’s Super Bowl berth.

We won’t say Swift is in her WAG era, but just know we’re thinking it.

‘Enchanted’ — Jan. 21

While Bills Mafia and viewers at home might have been delighting in “the Jason Kelce experience” at the divisional round game between the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills — which included the six-time All-Pro and future Hall of Famer jumping shirtless out of a suite window — one esteemed member of the Kelce clan, Jason’s wife, Kylie, might not have been as enthused.

“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior because we were meeting Taylor [Swift],” Kelce said on the “New Heights” podcast.

As for Swift’s opinion of her first meeting with her boyfriend’s older brother? She was enchanted to meet him.

“Tay said she absolutely loved you. So it worked,” Travis said.

‘Forever Winter’ — Jan. 13

Subzero temperatures couldn’t keep Swift from going where Kelce goes. The singer-songwriter braved the fourth-coldest game in NFL history as the Chiefs took on the Miami Dolphins in the wild-card round.

Despite the frosty conditions, Swift kept things cozy (and fashionable) in a jacket made out of Kelce’s jersey designed by Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk.

”tis the damn season’ — Dec. 25

Sure, in her heart is a Christmas tree farm, but that wasn’t going to stop Swift from spending the holiday supporting Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium. The singer-songwriter, accompanied by Santa, made her fifth consecutive appearance at a Chiefs game as Kansas City hosted the Las Vegas Raiders.

The home team didn’t get the win, but a certain pop star once opined that Christmas must be something more than wins and losses.

‘Back to December’ — Dec. 17

Swift goes back to Boston all the time — as evidenced by her banner hanging in the halls of Gillette Stadium.

Passing by a poster of your girlfriend on your way to work? Completely normal.

While the singer-songwriter was in attendance to support Kelce as the Chiefs visited the Patriots on Sunday, she also had an admirer on the other sideline: New England coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick — who was on hand when Swift performed for three hours in the rain during the Foxborough leg of her “Eras Tour” — has previously voiced his fandom for the singer-songwriter, commenting on how impressed he was with her toughness.

‘Speak Now’ — Dec. 6

That’s Time Magazine Person of the Year Taylor Swift to you.

In the article reflecting on Swift’s preeminent year, the cover star decided to shed some light on her oft-dissected love life. More specifically, to clear up any confusion surrounding the timeline of her relationship with Kelce.

“This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” Swift told Time.

While we’re not positive, we’re taking “metal as hell” to mean cool. In which case, cool indeed.

As for those of you firmly planted in the “this is a fake PR relationship manufactured by the NFL” camp? Swift has some humble pie, er — insight for you too.

“We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other. By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Anyone else relieved?

“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. 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,” the singer-songwriter continued.

“And we’re just proud of each other.”

It’s safe to say neither of them is keeping the other like a secret, rather like an oath.

‘Don’t Blame Me’ — Nov. 15

While the internet was focused on Taylor changing the lyrics to “Karma” with Travis in attendance at her Buenos Aires concert, the Chiefs star’s older brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, was contemplating more important matters.

Namely, a missed high-five opportunity and a lanyard.

In Travis’ excitement over the cheeky lyrical change, he accidentally left Scott Swift, Taylor’s dad, hanging on a celebratory high-five. The audacity.

Jason was quick to point out that Scott, a lifelong Eagles fan, was rocking a Kansas City lanyard at the time. The show of support for the team who defeated Scott’s hometown Eagles in Super Bowl LVII had Jason placing blame squarely on Travis.

“You’re going to let this man’s devilishly good looks and relationship with your daughter sway you from a lifetime of fandom, Scott?”

‘Karma’ — Nov. 11

Life can come at you fast. One day Travis was just a two-time Super Bowl champion with a friendship bracelet and a dream, the next he’s vibing in the VIP tent at the first stop on the international leg of the Eras Tour next to Scott Swift.

If that twist of fate weren’t enough proof of Travis’ good karma, the 33-year-old singer took the liberty of changing the lyrics in her song aptly titled “Karma” as a cheeky nod to the football player on Saturday.

In place of “Karma is the guy on the screen,” she went with “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs” much to the amusement of Travis.

But wait, there’s more. At the end of the concert, Taylor was spotted making a beeline for Kelce.

The above videos combined with the fact Taylor performed “End Game” as one of her surprise songs with Travis in attendance was more than enough to send the Swiftie-verse into a frenzy.

‘How You Get The Girl’ — Nov. 10

Taylor and Travis, or “Tayvis” as the cool kids refer to the famous couple, are in their international era.

On Friday, the Chiefs star was seen arriving to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on a private plane to support the singer ahead of her second show at Estadio River Plate.

A few hours later, Taylor postponed her Friday night concert to Sunday due to bad weather.

What happened next was rare, I was there and I remember it all too well. The duo ventured to Elena restaurant at the Four Seasons Buenos Aires Hotel to enjoy a private dinner alongside Taylor’s dad. At approximately 11:45 p.m. local time, the pair exited the restaurant through the kitchen much to the delight of their fellow patrons.

‘Call It What You Want’ — Oct. 22

Another week, another Arrowhead Stadium appearance for Swift.

The artist switched up her cheering companion to watch the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7, opting to sit next to Brittany Mahomes, wife of Patrick Mahomes.

Taylor and Brittany have been spotted together before, but this is the first time their celebratory handshake was caught in action. Let us tell you, it is something.

While you’re busy digesting what you just watched, allow us to regale you with another important detail about the pop superstar’s latest appearance: Taylor was sporting a bracelet with Travis’ football number on it.

Swifties will likely surmise that this is the equivalent of Taylor wanting to wear his initial on a chain ’round her neck. Not because he owns her, but ’cause he really knows her.

One could also say she made the friendship bracelet, took the moment and tasted it … a touch too far?

Either way, considering how this whole thing started — with Travis making a bracelet for Taylor with his phone number on it — the tight end’s powers of manifestation are unparalleled.

‘If This Was A Movie’ — Oct. 12

Hanging with Beyoncé on Wednesday, cheering for Kelce on Thursday.

Whether or not you’re in favor of the hype train that accompanies a Swift appearance at a Chiefs game, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the commitment required for the superstar to follow-up her Los Angeles “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” movie premiere with an Arrowhead outing on back-to-back nights.

A mere 24 hours after ushering in the film adaptation of her global tour (did we mention Beyoncé was in attendance?) Swift resumed her position beside Donna Kelce to watch Kansas City defeat the Denver Broncos 19-8.

‘Invisible String’ — Oct. 2

What if we told you Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews are masterminds? On Oct. 1, Thompson shared an old video recorded on Aug. 3 for their aptly named “Calm Down” podcast to her Instagram page.

In the video, Thompson and Andrews make a plea for Taylor to go on a date with their friend Travis.

“He is fantastic. … Take us up on this, go on a date with this guy,” Andrews said.

“Do it for yourself, do it for us,” Thompson added, “and do it for the people. Because there is no one who would give you a better time than this guy.”

On Oct. 2, Travis acknowledged that it’s nice to have a friend.

“You two are something else! I owe you big time!” the tight end commented on the resurfaced video.

Could it be that all along there was some invisible string tying Trav to T?

‘Look What You Made Me Do’ — Oct. 1

Back by popular demand, it’s Taylor watching Travis. At this point, if it’s all a bit, the pop star has really committed.

On Sunday night, she was spotted cheering on No. 87 from a suite at MetLife Stadium alongside some famous friends. While we were sort of partial to her fist bumps with Donna Kelce in Week 3, we will settle for the company of Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Sabrina Carpenter and Hugh Jackman.

‘Welcome to New York’ — Sept. 28

Live from New York, it’s Taylor watching Travis?

OK, MetLife Stadium is in New Jersey, but the sentiment remains. Ticket sales for the Chiefs’ next game on the road against the New York Jets have spiked amid speculation the pop star — who is on break from the Eras Tour until November — might be in attendance for the “Sunday Night Football” showdown.

“Since Swift’s appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday, the Jets have sold more tickets for their game against the Chiefs in a single day than since the season started — by more than double,” StubHub told Town & Country.

Per ESPN Stats & Information, the Vivid Seats site saw a 173% increase in traffic for the Chiefs-Jets game page in the wake of Swift’s Arrowhead Stadium sighting, according to data provided by the ticket exchange company.

In a shock to absolutely no one familiar with the Eras Tour happenings, despite the Swift-fueled boost, the average price for a ticket to one of her concerts at MetLife in May ($1,332) far exceeded the cost of an average ticket for the upcoming game ($232).

Call it karma for the ill-fated Jets in the wake of QB Aaron Rodgers suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 1, or call it what you want, but the power of Swift is undeniable.

‘The Best Day’ — Sept. 27

There’s no one like an older sibling to keep you humble. On the Season 2 premiere of the “New Heights” podcast, Jason Kelce got right to the heart of the matter.

“Trav, how’s it feel that Taylor Swift finally put you on the map?” Jason asked his younger brother.

While the Eagles center’s inquiry was said in jest, when you take into account the more than 400% increase in Travis’ jersey sales and his meteoric social media following gains since Swift’s Arrowhead appearance, it’s a valid question.

Travis took the probe in stride, happily reflecting on Sunday’s events.

“I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her,” Kelce said. “… She looked amazing. Everybody was talking about her in a great light. And on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs fans.”

“To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high-fives with Mom, to see how Chiefs Kingdom was all excited that she was there — that s— was absolutely hysterical,” Kelce said. “It’s definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure.”

The Chiefs star even acknowledged the conspiracy theories, joking, “We script it all, ladies and gentlemen.”

Whether Travis could be the one, or if Swifties will soon forget that he existed, remains to be seen, but in the meantime we’ll continue to document them taking on the world together.

‘Bejeweled’ — Sept. 25

Real, as they say, recognizes real. So it’s no surprise six-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick had a Swift endorsement when asked about the rumors.

This isn’t the first time the New England Patriots coach has praised the 33-year-old, as he also noted how impressed he was by her toughness in the wake of her three-hour-plus, rain-soaked performance at Gillette Stadium in May.

“That was pretty impressive,” Belichick said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” of her Eras Tour concert.

“She’s tough, man. Just stood out there and played right through it.”

‘Getaway Car’ — Sept. 24

Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

In a second spotting of the duo, Travis and Taylor were seen driving away from Arrowhead Stadium together.

We won’t opine that they were always skipping town or voted most likely to run away together, but just know we’re thinking it.

‘Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince’ — Sept. 24

She saw the scoreboard, but she didn’t run for her life.

The Chiefs star, who once starred in the reality dating show “Catching Kelce,” was seen walking out of the stadium with Taylor after the game.

If the first sighting of the pair together wasn’t enough to send Swifties into overdrive, the internet sleuthing that resulted in the revelation that Travis was rocking an outfit titled the “1989 sleep set” surely did the trick.

While some will cite Travis’ choice of ensemble as being auspicious to the timing of the Oct. 27 release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” — and further proof the rumored relationship is strictly a mastermind promotional ploy — we choose to believe in love.

‘The Archer’ — Sept. 24

If Travis felt pressure, he didn’t let it get to him. The All-Pro scored a touchdown, and she appeared mystified by how the city screamed his name.

After Sunday’s game, Mahomes said he thought Kelce “wanted to get in the end zone just as much as all the Swifties wanted him to.”

‘I Can See You’ — Sept. 24

Meanwhile, the Kansas City sideline was abuzz after team members saw that the superstar was, in fact, in attendance.

‘Begin Again’ — Sept. 24

On a Sunday in a stadium, we watched it begin again. Swift was spotted on the bleachers — er, in a suite, sitting beside Kelce’s mom, Donna.

While it’s unclear whether his mother was telling stories about him on the T-ball team, it appeared the two were having a grand time taking in the lopsided Chiefs victory.

‘I Wish You Would’ — Sept. 21

It appeared Kelce was able to shake off not being able to meet Swift at her concert as he made known his hopes that she would return to Kansas City, this time as a spectator.

On a Thursday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Kelce shared that he extended an invite to the 12-time Grammy Award winner.

“I told her that I’ve seen her rock a stage in Arrowhead and she might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead,” Kelce said.

“We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

‘Blank Space’ — Sept. 17

After missing Week 1 because of injury, Kelce returned to the field — and the end zone — on Sept. 17.

Sure, that was nothing new, but what stood out about Patrick Mahomes linking up with his favorite target was the commentary on the play.

CBS announcer Ian Eagle made a clever reference to the smash hit “Blank Space” off of Swift’s 2014 album “1989.”

Making lyrical references to Swift’s expansive catalog will likely never go out of style.

‘Delicate’ — Sept. 14

The thing about having a younger sibling who’s rumored to be dating a global icon is that you’re probably going to have to field some questions on the matter.

Jason skated around the rumors when Tony Gonzalez inquired about Travis’ relationship status on the Sept. 14 “Thursday Night Football” postgame show.

On Sept. 20, Jason was asked about his brother’s relationship situation again on 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia.

“I don’t really know what’s happening in Travis’ love life. I try to keep his business kind of his business and stay out of that world,” Jason said.

“But having said that, I think he’s doing great and I think that it’s all 100% true.”

The Eagles star was quick to note that he was joking, but since then, everything has changed.

‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’ — July 26

While Kelce would have been enchanted to meet Swift, it didn’t quite happen that way when No. 87 made his way to her Eras Tour concert over the summer.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings,” Kelce told his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, on their “New Heights” podcast on July 26.

Kelce then explained why he was hoping to meet the singer.

“If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it,” Travis Kelce said.

This admission prompted Jason to ask for clarification on whether his brother was referring to his football number or phone number.

“You know which one,” Travis replied with a grin.

“She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal.”



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