Travis Kelce might be one of the most recognizable names in the NFL, but when it comes to his relationship with Taylor Swift, the Chiefs’ star tight end made one thing clear from the start: football comes first.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan recently shared that early in the relationship, Kelce approached the team with a specific request - no Taylor Swift music during home games at Arrowhead Stadium. Not because he’s not a fan (he clearly is - we all saw him hop on stage during the Eras Tour), but because he didn’t want the spotlight to shift from the team to his personal life.
“Travis, to his credit, is all about the team,” Donovan said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Up & Adams. “He’s all about the guys, and he’s all about being part of the team and not being separate.”
That’s the kind of leadership you want from a veteran. Kelce told Donovan that playing Swift’s music during games would separate him from the group - and that’s not how he wanted to operate. “When we are playing a game, when we are in the stadium, it’s about us, and I want it to be about us,” Kelce said.
Donovan and the Chiefs respected that boundary. Stadium staff were instructed not to play Swift’s music during games, and the organization made a conscious decision to keep the relationship out of the stadium spotlight.
That meant no shots of Swift on the big board, no marketing tie-ins, no over-the-top fanfare. Just football.
“We never showed Taylor on our big boards in our stadium, never,” Donovan emphasized. “It was respectful. We’re not taking advantage of this relationship.”
That’s not to say Swift hasn’t made her presence felt. During the 2023 season, she was a regular at Chiefs games - cheering from the suites, walking through tunnels, and even celebrating big wins with Kelce.
But this season, things have been noticeably quieter. She’s limited her appearances to home games and has stayed away from the TV cameras and the typical high-profile entrances.
Her team has kept things low-key, and the Chiefs have followed suit.
Still, Donovan made it clear that Swift has been nothing but gracious. “Taylor has been amazing to us,” he said. “She is a phenomenon, but she is just a special, kind person.”
And while the couple recently got engaged, the Chiefs continue to treat their relationship like any other within the organization. Donovan said he told Kelce early on, “We are going to treat you and your relationship with the same respect we treat any other player and coach’s relationship.”
That respect extended beyond just the music and the cameras. Kelce and Donovan also worked together to ensure Swift’s safety at Arrowhead Stadium. Ahead of her first visit - a September 24, 2023 game against the Bears - the team coordinated closely with Swift’s security team to create a detailed plan for her arrival and presence at the stadium.
At the end of the day, this is a story about boundaries, professionalism, and mutual respect. Kelce may be dating one of the most famous people on the planet, but when it’s game time, he’s locked in - and the Chiefs have done their part to make sure the focus stays where it belongs: on the field.