Taylor Swift was as much a part of the sports world as the pop culture world in 2023, and sports fans’ attention to Swift continued into 2024 as the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance blossomed last season, the “Anti-Hero” singer accompanying the tight end to multiple games and even bringing some of her celebrity friends with her to watch the Chiefs play.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs rolls out and looks to throw a pass to Mecole Hardman Jr. to score the game-winning touchdown during the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Swift and Brittany Mahomes, the wife of the Chiefs star quarterback, became friends as well. The two were seen together frequently during the season, then celebrating on the field with their men as they hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Mahomes was introduced to Swift after a Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears, when the pop star made her first appearance for a football game at Arrowhead Stadium. According to Time Magazine, Swift recalled meeting Mahomes briefly in 2019.
Mahomes gushed about Swift and applauded her work ethic.
Patrick Mahomes praised Taylor Swift in an interview. (Getty Images)
“I’ve met a lot of famous people now in my life,” Mahomes said. “Taylor’s probably the most down-to-earth person that’s been on that stage for that long.
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“She’s never not working,” he added. “Even when she’s taking her downtime, she’s working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks. Even when she’s talking about football, when she’s learning it, you can see her business mind putting it together. It’s almost like she’s trying to become a coach. ‘Why can’t you try this, this and this?’ She’s asking the right questions.”
Kansas City wasn’t exactly favored to win the Super Bowl in the middle of last season.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Chiefs found themselves losers in four of six games. They managed to persevere against the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve and get by the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.
NFL fans wondered whether Swift’s presence created a distraction.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs before the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“We just embraced it,” Mahomes told Time Magazine of the doubts. “We like having that visibility. At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport.
“We want to make it fun, where kids grow up and play football and show their personality and be who they are. This year really magnified that.”
Patience helped the Chiefs stun the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and knock off the San Francisco 49ers in 2024.
Now, they have a three-peat in their sights.