Taylor Swift had her win, and now, it’s Travis Kelce’s turn. The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl on February 11 in Swift’s first year cheering on her boyfriend, a bit of fate not even she could’ve masterminded. Swift is confirmed to attend the game, planning to fly to Las Vegas after finishing a show in Tokyo on February 10. (It will, of course, be her 13th game.) That gives Swifties a reason to paint the town red and cheer on Kelce and the Chiefs one final time this season. And that gives your resident music writer and Chiefs fan another reason to write about Kansas City football. Here’s everything you need to know about Swift and Kelce at the Big Game.
Wow, the Chiefs really made it to the Super Bowl?
Yep — for the second year in a row, and fourth time in the last five years, the Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl. (You could say they make it to Super Bowls like Swift wins Album of the Year Grammys.) That didn’t always seem like a given this year, with Kansas City having receiver problems all year and literally dropping the ball in a number of should-win games in the back half of their season. But the Chiefs came back stronger than a ’90s trend in the playoffs, beating three of the NFL’s best teams this season — the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens — to win their conference and make the Big Game.
And Travis Kelce helped them out, right?
Well, it’s complicated. Kelce had his worst season of receiving yards (the thing he’s best at) in eight years, breaking his streak of seven 1,000-yard seasons, and averaged his lowest yards per catch ever. And he contributed to the team’s drop problem, too, with seven this season. (Maybe he’s been taking the lyrics to “Sparks Fly” a little too seriously.) But a down Kelce season is still a good season — he still made the Pro Bowl and was among the better tight ends in the NFL.
That’s all before we got to the playoffs. With Kansas City’s Super Bowl hopes on the line, Kelce was The Man. He logged above-average receiving yards compared to the season in all three games — including a 115-yard, 11-catch, one-touchdown performance in the win against the Baltimore Ravens that got the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
Who are the Chiefs playing?
The San Francisco 49ers, which brings a whole new meaning to the lyric “I don’t like a gold rush.” It’s a bit of déjà vu for the Chiefs, who beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl back in 2020. But these teams have changed a lot since then — the 49ers bulked up on offense, with star running back Christian McCaffrey and MVP-candidate quarterback Brock Purdy, while the Chiefs’ defense became one of the best in the league. San Francisco also has some of the NFL’s best linebackers, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who’ll usually be the ones blocking and tackling Kelce.
Swift herself is at least a little familiar with the Niners — Kristin Juszczyk, who made her custom 87 coat for the frigid Dolphins game, is married to 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Among the other WAGs cheering for the 49ers: former Bachelor contestant Sydney Hightower, married to Warner, and model/influencer Olivia Culpo, engaged to McCaffrey. The Niners may not have a pop star on their side, but they do have Saweetie and Bob Weir.
Original @GratefulDead member Bob Weir on the sidelines before today's NFC Championship 🎶 @49ers pic.twitter.com/65aSOWC9b4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 28, 2024
But the Chiefs have other celebrity fans, right?
Swift will be in good company rooting for Kansas City. Expect to see longtime Chiefs fans Paul Rudd and Eric Stonestreet, who regularly cheer on their team at the Big Game. With Saturday Night Live off for a few weeks, maybe Heidi Gardner can make the trip to Vegas too? Maybe Mahomes invited his friend Henry Winkler this year?
Who’s getting a coveted invite to Swift’s suite?
Swift will surely have one of the best seats in the house again, even if it costs her up to $3 million, as “Page Six” reported it could. (Hey, she is a billionaire now!) But that could price some out of joining her, like Mama Kelce, who said on Today that she’s not expecting to join Swift this game. So who could? A source told “Page Six” Swift might end up watching the game with her new friend Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Swift’s sporty friends like Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who previously attended a game with her, would make sense; maybe she’d even finally meet Rudd, who’s a fan. And after Cara Delevingne attended recent wins in Buffalo in Baltimore, it only feels right for her to finish out the run. (This Chiefs fan wonders if she might be a good luck charm.)
What has Kelce been up to ahead of the game?
The tight end had to skip out on the Grammys for team duties in Las Vegas, but he’s still managed to be a supportive boyfriend. Amid the media circus of opening night, Kelce casually dropped that he’s actually heard some of Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, and “it’s unbelievable.” He also praised Swift for “rewriting the history books” with her Grammy wins, while admitting her success is motivating him. “I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware too,” he said.
Are the announcers going to be all weird about Swift again?
Remember Tony Romo, the guy who accidentally called Swift Kelce’s wife twice during the season? Yeah, he’s calling this game for CBS. But Swift met Romo in Baltimore, so hopefully she got to talk some sense into him. (And Romo surely means well — he went through a media circus of his own when he dated Jessica Simpson while playing for the Dallas Cowboys.)
Is Swift performing at the Super Bowl?
No — give the woman a break! She’ll be coming off a four-show run in Tokyo, jet-lagged, and saving her energy to head to Australia shortly after. On top of that, TMZ reported back in 2022 that Swift was offered the Super Bowl halftime show (where Rihanna ultimately performed), but her team said she wouldn’t take it until she finished re-recording all her albums. In case you’re holding out any hope, sources also just told TMZ that Swift won’t be crashing Usher’s halftime set this year. Check back in 2025.
What can I bet on?
If you want to make like Swift’s friend Drake and cash in on your new fandom, you’ve got some options. As mentioned above, Kelce has been consistent during this playoff run, so his overs are looking awfully good here. Receiving yards might be the better bet than receptions, since Kelce’s logged over 70 yards in his last three games, but it doesn’t always take him a lot of catches to put up numbers. And, after Kelce and Mahomes broke the all-time playoff touchdowns record, an anytime touchdown might be a good bet too.
I bet you’re thinking about betting on Swift too. Well, bad news — most novelty props, or bets that don’t have to do with the actual game, are illegal in the U.S. But for the non-American Swifties (or if you happen to have access to offshore betting), the New York Times reported that you can put money on everything from her lipstick color (red seems like easy money) to whether she’ll cry if the Chiefs lose (probably not).
Is this all a liberal psyops? Is Swift ruining the sacred sport of football?
No and no.
So, are the Chiefs going to win?
You’re speaking to a biased source anyway, and if I did know, I’d be a millionaire. Here’s what I can tell you: Kansas City is coming into this game as a two-point underdog. And it doesn’t get exhausting rooting for the anti-hero when it’s the Kansas City Chiefs — with Mahomes as quarterback, they’ve won 75 percent of the games where the odds were against them. Their running game can beat the 49ers offensively, and their defense can make things messy for San Francisco. (Some Chiefs players worth getting to know: running back Isiah Pacheco, defensive end Chris Jones, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.) It may not be pretty, but Kelce has a good chance to match his girlfriend with another trophy of his own.
How can I watch?
The Super Bowl is at 6:30 p.m. ET on February 11 on CBS and Paramount+ with Showtime.
Related
- The Music Lover’s Guide to the 2024 Super Bowl
- Will Taylor Swift Go to the Super Bowl?
Justin Curto , 2024-02-09 15:00:24
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