By Alex Raskin Sports News Editor for Dailymail.com 03:47 January 01, 2024, updated 08:08 January 1, 2024
- Kelce and Swift were seen arriving separately on Sunday morning
- It is believed that the two are spending New Year's Eve with friends and family
- READ MORE: Swift and Chiefs fans cheer as Kansas City beats Cincinnati 25-17
Travis Kelce's 2023 ended with one win and his 2024 begins with another: quality time with his girlfriend Taylor Swift.
The All-Pro tight end only had three catches, but his Kansas City Chiefs still came back to beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 25-17 and win their eighth straight AFC West title.
The pair were then chauffeured in a golf cart to the players' parking lot, where DailyMail.com cameras caught Kelce escaping with Swift in his Rolls Royce. While Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket that had her nickname “Tay-Ta” written on it, Kelce wore comfortable sweatpants and a knit hat that covered his shaved head.
And like the gentleman he is, Kelce was sure to open the door for his New Year's Eve date.
The two are believed to be celebrating 2024 with family and friends at a private party in the Kansas City area. Kelce's mother Donna was seen in Swift's luxury box earlier in the evening.
The couple were then taken to the players' parking lot in a chauffeured golf cart. Kelce and Swift stand in the players' parking lot next to Chiefs assistant coach Connor Embree's spot. Travis Kelce opens a rear passenger door for Taylor Swift before riding the shotgun The 6-foot-5 Kelce towers over Swift in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot. Taylor Swift looks into the crowd at the Chiefs' game against the Bengals on Sunday in Arrowhead. Not only was Swift wearing a Chiefs varsity jacket, but it was also embroidered with her nickname, Taylor Swift reacts during the Chiefs' game against the Bengals on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City
Late in the fourth period, cameras caught Swift celebrating the impending victory with a young fan when Kansas City's Chris Jones sacked Bengals quarterback Jake Browning on Cincinnati's final drive.
Kelce played almost no role for Patrick Mahomes & Co. and finished the game with just three catches for 16 yards on four targets. He is just a few yards shy of his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
But for the 10-6 Chiefs, the victory was significant. In addition to winning its eighth straight AFC West title, Kansas City is coming off a miserable 3-8 stretch that threatened the entire season. Of course, many have suspected that Swift was somehow responsible for distracting Kelce and the Chiefs from the task at hand, but that wasn't the case on Sunday as Kansas City came back to beat the Bengals, who fell behind 8-8.
Swift reacted joyfully to the win alongside a young fan, sticking her finger in the air and screaming in the boy's face.
Travis Kelce's Rolls Royce drives out of Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday evening in Kansas City. Travis Kelce's Rolls Royce leaves Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday evening in Kansas City
And as some fans noted, Swift wore a Chiefs jacket with “Tay-Tay” written near the pocket — a nod to Kelce's rumored nickname for the 34-year-old singer. The Swifties expressed their excitement about it on social media, noting that they were glad he adopted the fan base's nickname for them.
And as has become a familiar scene at Arrowhead, fans brought signs in hopes of getting their attention.
One savvy Chiefs supporter referred to the romantic couple as “TNT” and wrote, “They are Dynamite!”
Another young participant wrote that she was “only here because of Taylor.”
Harrison Butker was 6-for-6, a career-best mark on field goal attempts, and Kansas City held the Bengals scoreless in its final seven possessions.
Kelce (right) greets injured Bengals QB Joe Burrow (left) after beating Cincinnati on Sunday. Swift laughs as she watches the first half of Sunday's rematch of last year's AFC title game. Kelce had just three catches against Cincinnati and remains a few yards shy of 1,000 for the year
Patrick Mahomes had 245 passing yards and a touchdown for Kansas City (10-6), which also secured at least third place and a home playoff game. Isiah Pacheco ran 18 times for 130 yards, while Rashee Rice had five catches for 127 yards.
The Bengals (8-8), fighting for their own playoff life, led by 10 early but trailed 25-17 when Butker made his final field goal – a 46-yarder – with 2:59 left. Throw the game in stormy winds.
With one last chance, Jake Browning hit Tyler Boyd to convert a long fourth down and move into Kansas City territory, but back-to-back sacks by George Karlaftis and Chris Jones gave the Chiefs eight points on the day and ended their comeback hopes the Bengals.
Browning finished the game with 197 yards passing and a touchdown. Joe Mixon ran for 65 yards and got the TD reception.
Butker converted 54, 43, 27, 24, 48 and 46 yards for the final 18 points of the game.
Kelce is just a few yards away from recording his eighth straight season with more than 1,000 yards
The Bengals and Chiefs are used to playing high-stakes games when the weather turns icy and have met in thrilling tensions in each of the last two AFC Championship games. And they're usually accompanied by plenty of trash talk, whether from elected officials or, as was the case last week, from players like the Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase.
The hostility usually spills onto the field as well. Midway through the second quarter, Chase and Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed got into a heated argument and eventually a team-wide huddle ensued, with personal fouls being settled.
The Bengals took a 10-7 lead when an 8 1/2-minute drive resulted in a field goal and a 6 1/2-minute march ended with Mixon's touchdown catch. Cincinnati then got the ball back when Trey Hendrickson ran right around rookie right tackle Wanya Morris, picked off Mahomes from behind and Sam Hubbard was there to pounce on the loose ball.
Kelce only had 3 balls for 16 yards against Cincy, with his longest ball being 10 yards
A pass interference on Sneed in the end zone set up Browning's 1-yard TD run.
Butker's first field goal put the Chiefs up 17-10, and they had a chance to take the lead when Mahomes saw Marquez Valdes-Scantling wide open on their next possession. But another dropped pass – Kansas City's NFL-leading 40 this season – forced the Chiefs to settle for a field goal and trail 17-13 at halftime.
As the Chiefs' defense stepped up in the second half, their offense began to show signs of life.
They stuffed the Bengals under pressure on fourth-and-1 at the Kansas City 6 and then gained 82 yards for Butker's third field goal. And after the Bengals had to punt, Mahomes hit Rashee Rice for 67 yards to set up Butker's chip shot and give the Chiefs the lead for good.