Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been front and center in a lot of the team鈥檚 biggest moments the last few years 鈥� both on the field and off.
As much as he seems comfortable in the role as a football player, which has already won him three Super Bowl rings, Kelce has also accepted , in large part because of his high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
For the Chiefs to pull off an unprecedented 鈥渢hree-peat鈥� at Super Bowl 59, Kelce welcomes the chance to take the spotlight once again.
鈥淚t鈥檚 similar to things you might have going on in your life outside the building throughout the season,鈥� Kelce said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be able to compartmentalize what you鈥檙e going through and still be able to be accountable at work.鈥�
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attests to Kelce鈥檚 success.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 let the moment be bigger than what is,鈥� said Mahomes. 鈥淗e just goes out there and executes at a high level just like he does in the regular season. He just does that a little bit higher (in) intensity.鈥�
Kelce's dynamic duos
The pairing of Mahomes and Kelce is a powerful one: They鈥檙e the quarterback-receiver tandem with the most total touchdowns in NFL postseason history. They added another touchdown in the AFC Divisional playoff game against Houston, extending their record that was previously set last year against Buffalo.
But for most people, it wasn鈥檛 until Kelce and Swift got together that the Chiefs tight end became a household name. After Kelce attended Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour stop in Kansas City, Swift began showing up at Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs home games 鈥� .
The duo reached a peak of power a year ago, when Swift won the Grammy for Album of the Year while Kelce prepared for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.
鈥淪he鈥檚 unbelievable,鈥� Kelce said on the Super Bowl opening night in 2024. 鈥淪he鈥檚 rewriting the history books herself. I told her I鈥檒l have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware, too.鈥�
Kelce did hold up his end, when the Chiefs were awarded the Vince Lombardi trophy after beating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 25-22.
This past year, as Swift finished out her Eras Tour and continued to attend home games at Arrowhead, Kelce鈥檚 star has risen in other ways.
It鈥檚 the NFL鈥檚 goal to 鈥� and especially in the German-speaking market, which also includes Austria and Switzerland. The Kelce-Swift factor has been instrumental in helping the Chiefs, specifically, in doing that.
According to the NFL Players Associations (NFLPA), bestsellers in Germany between January and October last year, above even Mahomes. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Kelce doesn鈥檛 even crack the top 10.
鈥淗e鈥檚 definitely one of the biggest names in American football over here,鈥� said Alex Steinforth, the NFL general manager in Germany.
Steinforth saw plenty of Kelce jerseys when he attended a Swift concert during her two-night stop in Hamburg, Germany, in late July. 鈥淭o be fair, that鈥檚 one of the entry points for non-fans, casual fans that didn鈥檛 really have any overlap with football before,鈥� said Steinforth.
At this stage of Kelce鈥檚 career, a lot of people are wondering about his possible retirement. His brother and podcast co-host Jason Kelce retired last year, .
Football career highlight, or twilight?
En route to the Super Bowl, Taylor Swift and another high-profile athlete 鈥� Iowa native, Indiana Fever guard, and lifelong Chiefs fan Caitlin Clark 鈥� were on hand for the Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans.
There, Kelce had his season-best performance, with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
The 35-year old Kelce said afterward that he felt 22 again.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why he鈥檚 the greatest tight end there鈥檚 been,鈥� Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward.
Kelce has 823 receiving yards this season, his lowest one-season total since becoming a Chiefs starter in 2014. But before departing for New Orleans, Reid appeared unconcerned: 鈥淗e can still play. He鈥檚 all right.鈥�
Kelce was asked on Super Bowl Opening Night this week where he sees himself in three years.
鈥淚 feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me, but we鈥檒l see what happens,鈥� said Kelce. 鈥淚 know I鈥檝e been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. It鈥檚 always been the goal knowing that football only lasts for so long.鈥�
Some of those opportunities have come to fruition in the last year: a for 鈥淣ew Heights,鈥� an acting gig in the FX show 鈥溾�� and the host role of Prime Video鈥檚
But Kelce鈥檚 story with the Chiefs isn鈥檛 done yet.
While Taylor Swift may have come away empty at the Grammys this past Sunday, Kelce hopes he can make some big plays against the Eagles, and help bring home more hardware to Kansas City.
