Taylor Swift had the internet buzzing during the Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Broncos on Monday night, but the reaction people thought they saw on ESPN wasn’t actually what she was saying.
Swift was at Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas City’s home opener as Travis Kelce helped the Chiefs get rolling in their 2026 season. Kelce finished with three catches for a team-high 71 yards, and his third-quarter burst stood out most. He took a short pass from Patrick Mahomes and turned it into a 59-yard gain, setting up a field goal and giving the stadium a familiar flash of Kelce at his best.
The viral moment came late in the second quarter after Kelce hauled in a six-yard catch in the final minute before halftime. ESPN showed Swift yelling at a TV screen, and plenty of fans quickly ran with the idea that she was telling the network not to put her on camera.
But that wasn’t it. Mirror US Sports had a professional lip-reader examine the clip, and the read was: “Oh, he’s open.
He’s open. Get off of him, geez.”
That fits the moment much better. Swift was reacting to the play, and Kelce had indeed found space before being brought down for the short gain.
This wasn’t Swift’s first time becoming part of the broadcast during a Chiefs game, either. She’s been around plenty of Kansas City games since her relationship with Kelce began, and she’s often shown cheering from her suite. Some viewers have grown tired of the quick cutaways, which helped fuel the wrong version of what she was saying on Monday night.
Swift showed up on the broadcast again after Kelce’s 59-yard catch in the third quarter. This time, she was celebrating alongside Kelce’s mom, Donna, and his brother, Jason. She also spent part of the night chatting with Tom Cruise.
The game also marked Patrick Mahomes’ return after the knee injury he suffered in a Week 15 loss to the Chargers last season. Mahomes completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and he added a rushing score in the win.
Afterward, Mahomes kept his focus on the work it took to get back on the field. “I just wanted to play,” Mahomes said after the game.
“I've done so much rehab and so much work to put myself in this position. I just wanted to get out there and play.
That's what you do it for. My guys around me kind of helped me.
Whenever I felt like I didn't play my best football, we were still able to go out there and beat a really good football team pretty well. It's because the guys around me stepped up and knew that they're going to have to help me as I get back into the rhythm of things.”
The Chiefs will be back on national television Sunday night when they host the Colts in Week 2.
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