Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has recently acquired new fame after his relationship with celebrity pop star, Taylor Swift, became public. Although only recently spotlighted because of his relationship, Kelce’s pre-Swift career was anything but lacking.
With four first team All-Pro selections and as an eight-time Pro-Bowler, Kelce has had immense success in his career. He has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs and holds the National Football League (NFL) record for the most consecutive seasons (seven) in which one has more than 1,000 receiving yards in total.
Charlie George (I), a captain of the football team at Boston Latin School who plays the same position as Kelce, says, “Kelce is a great football player. He is the perfect embodiment of a tight end and is a well-rounded player and athlete.” Kelce is frequently looked up to and revered among his huge fanbase. Such statistics exemplify the incredible asset Kelce is to whatever team he plays for, proving to fans he is worth the hype.
Even though Kelce had substantial fame before his relationship with Swift, no one can deny his growth in popularity once Swift entered the picture. After their relationship was revealed, he reached an entire new group of fans, who previously had been completely uninterested in football.
Although not a stranger to fame, Kelce’s relationship with Swift gave him much more attention from individuals not usually tuned into sports. Yaniris Vargas (IV), a dedicated Swift fan, says, “I know who Travis Kelce is, but only because of Taylor Swift.”
Football now has a wider audience as a variety of people, including non-football fans, are starting to attend the Chiefs’ games in hopes of seeing Taylor Swift or showing their newfound support for Kelce. His jerseys have also been selling out with an increase in sales of close to 400 percent and ticket prices for games have increased tremendously.
In addition to the price increase on the field, Kelce’s social media platforms have majorly expanded. Kelce has added on a hefty 383,000 new followers on his Instagram account, and his podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, New Heights, has ranked in the top ten Apple Podcasts for the last few weeks.
Many football fans believe that Kelce’s skill level has not changed since dating Taylor Swift. Kelce’s receiving yards this season with Swift in attendance, however, was an average of 108 yards, but when she was not in attendance, it was an average of 46.5 yards.
Although this observation has the opportunity to change as time progresses, it can explain why the NFL can appear to be capitalizing on the relationship more than they would have if his stats had maintained the same numbers.
Alonso Merida (II), a wide receiver and linebacker on the BLS football team, commented on the NFL’s use of the relationship, saying, “Taylor Swift has made Kelce more famous but the NFL is definitely milking her for views.” The audience for the Kansas City Chiefs football games has now shifted, and their viewers are not only committed football fans but also fans of Taylor Swift.
While the future of Swift and Kelce’s relationship is unknown, many Taylor Swift fans have become invested in Travis Kelce and his career. Annabelle Bagley (III), both a Taylor Swift and football fan who knew about Kelce prior to their relationship, describes them as “bringing two worlds together that normally don’t go together.”
With the football fans and Swift fans joining to support the Chiefs, a focus is put on Kelce to perform well. So far, it seems like the stellar athlete could ascend to new heights in his on-field performance with Swift by his side.
If they do break up, Travis Kelce’s receiving yards per game may decrease, and his career may plateau. It is unclear what the future holds for these two stars, but the numbers show that Kelce definitely feels more confident and has a greater amount of fans behind him with Taylor Swift watching his games.