Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift’s Relationship Timeline: How Did They Meet?

This Is Football host Kevin Clark said at the end of his Week 3 recap episode that we are headed toward “an absolute mania” not felt in the football world since Tim Tebow after Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ 41-10 drudging of the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 24. There is already enough evidence to support Clark’s theory.

Swift was not at Arrowhead Stadium because it was an idyllic autumn day in Kansas City, Missouri, nor because she’d suddenly abandoned her formative Philadelphia Eagles fandom for the Chiefs. She was there to support Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — screaming “let’s f*cking go” when he caught a touchdown — and now we are forced to consider whether they’re actually in a relationship. Or rather, we can’t help ourselves from nosing into a potential celebrity power coupling.

Either way, this started in July. Swift had brought her The Eras Tour to Arrowhead Stadium on July 7 and 8. During the July 26 episode of the New Heights podcast, co-hosted by Travis and his brother, Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce, Travis recounted attending one of the shows.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after the shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” he said. “So, I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”

The two-time Super Bowl champion continued, “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”

August slipped away, and come early September, outlets like Entertainment Tonight and The Messenger reported Kelce and Swift were “hanging out” but not officially dating.

On Thursday, September 14, Jason Kelce’s Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 34-28, on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football. After the game, Tony Gonzalez couldn’t help but ask about Travis and Taylor, a question Jason uncomfortably eluded.

On September 20, Jason Kelce briefly caused an uproar when he was again asked about the rumors while appearing on Philadelphia’s SportsRadio 94 WIP.

“It’s hard to answer because I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening in Travis’ love life, and I try to keep his business his business and stay out of that world,” Jason said. “But having said that, man, I think he’s doing great, and I think it’s all 100 percent true.”

Conveniently, SportsRadio 94 WIP’s social clips cut off before Jason added, “No, I’m joking. I don’t know what’s happening” (as relayed by People).

On September 21, Travis addressed the speculation with ESPN’s Pat McAfee.

“I threw it out there,” he said. “I threw the ball in her court, and you know, I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead, and see which one’s a little more lit,’ so we’ll see what happens in the near future.”

That was all well and cute, and still vague enough to remain skeptical of any Kelce-Swift (or “Swelce”) rumors. And then, we finally got visual proof. Fox’s broadcast of the Chiefs-Bears game began with a shot of Swift in Kelce’s suite, next to his nationally beloved mother, Donna Kelce.

As the game progressed, cameras cut to Swift often, especially after Kelce caught a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes midway through the third quarter to make it 41-0, Chiefs. Swift chest-bumped and joyously yelled, “Let’s f*cking go!” while Donna Kelce golf-clapped — she’s seen hundreds of Travis Kelce touchdowns — and presumably thought to herself, Act like you’ve been here before, Taylor.

The Chiefs pulled their starters after that touchdown, and Kelce wasn’t made available to the media after the game, so we didn’t see Kelce again until Jarrett Payton posted a video of Kelce and Swift walking out of Arrowhead. Blurry photos of Kelce and Swift in his convertible quickly followed.

According to Entertainment Tonight on Monday morning, September 25, Kelce and Swift were driving to Prime Social Rooftop in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

“Travis bought out the restaurant for his family and team,” an unnamed eyewitness told ET. “Taylor arrived, wearing a denim dress, and was seen snacking, having some cocktails and dancing alongside Travis. The two were very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and lighthearted. Travis’ teammates also showed up to the after-party, as well as his mom and dad, Donna and Ed. The party lasted until 2 a.m.”

With the same ET report, another said clarified, “Travis and Taylor are taking things slowly, and not rushing into anything serious. Both are very career-focused, so the focus is on that for now, but that’s not going to stop them from enjoying life when it’s the right moment.”

To that source’s point, Swift is due to resume her The Eras Tour on November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and will be touring internationally clear through next summer. She will then stage a second North American leg in October and November 2024.

In the immediate future, Swift might attend a second-straight Chiefs game next Sunday, October 1, as the Chiefs play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Welcome (back) to New York, Taylor?