As Swifties and fantasy football fans well know, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has performed better with his new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, in attendance.
Now, in the latest episode of his ‘New Heights’ podcast, Travis has admitted the same to his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
“How could I not be aware of this?” Travis said.
As Jason explained, there’s a stark contrast for Travis when Swift is present this season.
“We all saw Taylor was there and it turns out it was a good thing she was there because they kept your stats,” Jason began.
Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes and Randi Mahomes, with Jackson Mahomes in the back
Kelce has caught 48 passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns in six games with Swift on hand
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Taylor Swift is welcome to hang out
‘When T Swift is playing, you average 99 metres; when your remaining friends and family are there, you average 46.5 meters,” he continued. “Not only is social media taking notice, but it looks like Big Red is too.”
In this case, “Big Red” appears to be a reference to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who enjoyed discussing Travis’ relationship with Swift with the media.
“He was asked about your big game and he said, ‘Kelce is getting better with time, Taylor can stay here all she wants,’” Jason said, accurately quoting Reid’s comments after Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers 31-17.
This Kansas City Chiefs season may one day be remembered for two different eras: pre-Taylor and post-Taylor.
Whether it’s coincidence, fate or a result of true love, the Chief’s close bond has been in rift since his rapprochement with the pop superstar resulted in a renewed relationship. Travis went out with a hyperextended knee in Week 1, when the Chiefs lost to the Lions, and had four catches for 26 yards in his return against the Jaguars. But in the six games since Swift first saw Travis play, he has caught 48 passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns.
Taylor Swift is seen in a luxury suite at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Sunday
The Chiefs have also benefited from Swift’s arrival, going undefeated in her presence
That includes a performance of 12 catches for 179 yards and a score in a 31-17 win over the Chargers on Sunday, when Swift was back in an Arrowhead Stadium suite bumping Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes encountered.
In the four games Swift has attended, Travis has averaged 108 yards receiving. He had an average of 46.5 in the two games, she did not.
There’s a chance Travis will defy logic by getting better with age.
Even though he turned 34 earlier this month, the same age as the retired Rob Gronkowski, Travis continues to make plays that have everyone wondering how he did it. Take on the Chargers, a division rival who has seen him many times and yet been powerless to stop him from finding open nooks and crannies in their defense.
In one instance, Travis found a gaping chasm and ran 54 yards before ultimately being taken down by the Chargers.
Taylor Swift’s had a definite impact on people attending Kansas City Chiefs games
“The younger Trav would have scored on that,” Mahomes said with a smile, “I’ll say that.”
Although maybe he wasn’t that open. Mahomes said the biggest difference between the 34-year-old Travis and the one who broke into the league a decade ago is his ability to diagnose what the defense is doing and then quickly find a way to counter it.
“He’s played every team and every coverage,” Mahomes said, “and knows every way to make them pay.”
That’s true regardless of whether Swift is in the house.