Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift: Who is the NFL tight end, Kansas City Chiefs star and podcaster

Travis Kelce plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and has won two Super Bowls with them. Photo / AP

He’s considered one of the greatest tight ends in American Football history, but Travis Kelce has possibly found even greater fame this year for dating pop superstar Taylor Swift.

This season is his 11th in the NFL. He began as the first of two third-round picks (63rd overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 NFL draft. He spent the majority of the 2013 season on the club’s injured list.

The 1.95-metre (6ft 5in), 113-kilogram 34-year-old was first linked to Swift in September when she was seen at one of his matches. She has since admitted they were already a couple by the time the world found out about their romance.

She told Time magazine: “This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell.

“We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for because we got to get to know each other.

“By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game. We would never be psychotic enough to hard-launch a first date.”

Travis Kelce’s NFL career

Born on October 5, 1989, in Westlake, Ohio, Kelce played college football at the University of Cincinnati.

Since being drafted, he has established himself as one of the game’s top tight ends, known for his athleticism, receiving skills and ability to make big plays. He has been a key player for the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2019 and 2022.

Kelce quickly became a cornerstone of the Chiefs’ offence, earning multiple Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honours. Known for his exceptional route-running and catching, he has redefined the role of a modern tight end, contributing significantly to the Chiefs’ dynamic passing game.

He has shattered numerous records, including becoming the first tight end to record multiple 1000-yard receiving seasons.

Among many achievements, Kelce was selected to the Pro Bowl – similar to an all-star match – after the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons.

He was named an AP All-Pro after the 2016 (first-team), 2017 (second-team), 2018 (first-team), 2019 (second-team), 2020 (first-team; unanimous), 2021 (second-team) and 2022 (first-team) seasons.

He was voted by his teammates as captain of the Chiefs’ offence before their 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 playoff games.

Beyond his on-field achievements, Kelce is known for his charismatic personality, making him a fan favourite and a prominent figure in the NFL community. He is actively involved in philanthropy, contributing to various charitable causes and making a positive impact off the field.

Taylor Swift watching a Kansas City Chiefs game alongside Travis Kelce's mother, Donna Kelce. Photo / AP

Podcast success

Swift was revealed last week as this year’s top artist on Spotify, with more than 26.1 billion global streams since January 1.

In October, her fans – known as Swifties – helped Kelce and his brother Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, have the most popular podcast in the world – for that week, at least. In New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, the pair drop weekly insights about their games and share unique perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines.

Aside from the sport, Kelce isn’t new to the world of fame. He previously dated social media influencer Kayla Nicole, who accused him of cheating, telling the Daily Mail: “Once a cheater, always a cheater.” He also starred in the E! dating show Catching Kelce, on which he met and briefly dated Maya Benberry.

Travis Kelce net worth

Wealth site Celebrity Net Worth gives Travis Kelce a net worth US$30 million, made up of endorsement deals and his four-year $57.25m deal with the Chiefs.

Taylor Swift net worth

According to Forbes, Swift is worth US$740 million. Thanks to her long career and eye-watering $137.5m in digital and album sales, she is projected to hit billionaire status very soon, as her Eras Tour is expected to see her pocket at least $500m.

The couple’s timeline

Swift was first spotted at one of Kelce’s games on September 24, when she was seen cheering him on as the Chiefs played the Chicago Bears at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Blank Space star went on to add that she’s happy to be seen at the games because being in a relationship means they support each other.

She added: “When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care.”

Swift concluded by confessing she has learned to love football despite not really being a fan of the sport before meeting Kelce. “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.”