Reed Hoffmann/AP
Taylor Swift watches the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears last month.
CNN –
As fan interest in the apparent romance between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and superstar musician Taylor Swift shows little sign of abating, Kelce and his brother Travis agree that the NFL is in the social Media “exaggerates a bit”.
Kelce and Swift have not confirmed that they are dating, but the singer was seen cheering on the Chiefs star in his last two games.
Speaking to his older brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason, on the couple’s New Heights podcast on Wednesday, Travis said: “I think it’s funny when they show who was at the game. I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you see. But at the same time…”
At that point, Jason chimed in and said, “I think they’re overdoing it,” to which Travis agreed and added, “They’re definitely overdoing it a little bit, especially in my situation.” [but] I think they just want to have fun with it.”
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
Travis (left) and Jason Kelce attend an NBA game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers in May.
The NFL defended the way its social media platforms increased awareness of the Swift-Kelce narrative – including at least six posts on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday night.
“The news about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was a pop culture moment that we tracked in real time because it is at the intersection of sports and entertainment, and we saw an incredible amount of positivity surrounding sports,” it said.
Swift’s first game appearance led to a 400% increase in sales for Kelce’s Chiefs jersey, according to sports retailer Fanatics, and TV ratings were “the highest among women” across various age groups, Variety reported.
She was seen sitting next to the Kelce brothers’ mother, Donna, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on September 24, before also watching from the stands at MetLife Stadium as the Chiefs defeated the New York Jets on Sunday.