Taylor Swift Is A Football Expert, According To Patrick Mahomes
Taylor Swift's love of football has grown far past that of a casual fan. We witnessed Swift's passion for the sport developing as she attended more and more Kansas City Chiefs games to support her beau, Travis Kelce. With every match, the "Lover" singer's enthusiasm grew stronger as she wholeheartedly cheered along with the crowd. While Swift is generally known to keep her cool, she wasn't afraid to rage and swear as Kelce was tackled either. But, despite all the highs and lows, the Grammy winner wouldn't have it any other way.
In her 2023 TIME Person Of The Year interview, the "Lover" hitmaker admitted that she wished she'd found football earlier in life because she had such a blast at every game. Her growing passion has not only intrigued fans but also Chiefs co-captain, Patrick Mahomes. Speaking to TIME himself, the quarterback offered some insight into how the "Cruel Summer" singer discussed the beloved sport behind closed doors. "Even when she's talking about football when she's learning it, you can see her business mind putting it together," he gushed.
Mahomes continued, "It's almost like she's trying to become a coach. [She asks] 'Why can't you try this, this, and this?' She's asking the right questions." The NFL star was also chuffed that Swift's stardom had contributed to an exponential rise in the Chiefs' popularity. While some football fans were unhappy about her distracting presence at games, Mahomes felt that Swift's NFL coverage had helped make football more approachable to a primarily untouched audience.
Patrick Mahomes considers Taylor Swift family
When Patrick Mahomes spoke to reporters ahead of Super Bowl 2024, he specifically noted that Taylor Swift's attendance at football games had brought in a greater female viewership. "Knowing that I'm a father to a daughter as well, I love that she watches the games and loves football as well," he added (via CNN). The pro footballer's admiration for Swift goes beyond her contributions to football too. In his TIME 100 interview, the Super Bowl champion divulged that he had met tons of A-listers throughout his career but none as humble as Swift.
Mahomes also admired the "August" hitmaker's incredible work ethic. According to the Chiefs' co-captain, even when Swift appeared to be relaxing, her mind was constantly brewing new ideas. Mahomes shared a similar sentiment when he sat down with "CBS Mornings" in 2023. Since he has a sweet brotherly relationship with Travis Kelce, the NFL star couldn't be happier that he's finally found his equal in Swift. The celebrated quarterback also revealed that the team initially gave Kelce plenty of space to explore his relationship with Swift.
"Then, he started bringing Taylor around, and he realized how cool of a person she was, and she is, and so for us, there were a couple of jokes here and there at the beginning," Mahomes said, arguing, "She's just part of Chiefs Kingdom and she's part of the team." The pro athlete was stoked that his wife, Brittany Mahomes, had become BFFs with Swift too.
Chief Kingdom defended her on several occasions
After the Kansas City Chiefs lost a few games during the 2023 NFL season, certain critics proclaimed that Taylor Swift had somehow made the team take their eye off the ball. Amidst the online rage, Chiefs legend Christian Okoye stepped up to defend the pop star. Speaking to TMZ Sports, the retired running back pointed out the obvious: Swift isn't a player so she doesn't bear any responsibility for their lackluster display. Okoye further asserted that he had seen no changes in Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's performance, reasoning that the receivers simply weren't bringing their A-game.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had similar thoughts when he appeared on the "Let's Go with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray" podcast. Reid prefaced by confirming that he was fully supportive of Swift and Kelce's relationship, further clarifying, "There's been no distraction at all. Travis handled it right, she's handled it right, and we just move forward."
In February 2024, Brittany Mahomes also came to her new pal's defense by sharing an Instagram Story featuring Charles Barkley's quote, "If you're screaming at Taylor Swift saying she ruined [football], you're just a loser," (via Page Six). Underneath the image, Mahomes added, "Let. Them. Know." NFL crowds often boo Swift to let her know she isn't welcome, but Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, for one, is always happy to see her. He posited on "The Zach Gelb Show" that the Grammy winner's presence energizes the crowd and encourages them to have more fun.