NFL commentator Ian Eagle wasn’t shy about sneaking a few subtle references to Taylor Swift, 33, into his play-by-plays during the Kansas City Chiefs’ game amid the rumors that she’s seeing tight end Travis Kelce, 33. As the Chiefs took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, the announcer slipped a few of Taylor’s song titles into his play-by-plays about Travis.
When Travis scored a touchdown in the third quarter, Ian snuck in a clever 1989 reference. “Touchdown! Travis Kelce! Kelce finds a blank space for the score,” he said. In fact, Ian seems partial to 1989, as he snuck yet another reference to the album later in the game. “Travis Kelce, injured last week. He will shake it off in week two,” he said in another fan-captured clip. Ultimately, the Chiefs defeated the Jaguars 17 to 9.
MAHOMES TO KELCE IS BACK 🔥
📺: #KCvsJAX on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FhXtx7w3wW pic.twitter.com/SGjRJfmtZH— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
Rumors about Travis dating Taylor surfaced after a report from The Messenger surfaced on Sep. 12. “Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out,” an insider told the outlet. “She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago.”
After the rumors that he’s dating the “All Too Well” singer, Travis was asked about the rumors during a press conference. When a reporter asked him about his claims that he tried to give Taylor a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, he somewhat dodged the question. “I said what I said. And I meant what I said when I said it,” he said. “You know what, it is what it is. I’m not gonna talk about my personal life.”
Travis’ brother Jason, 35, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, also said he couldn’t “comment” on the rumors when he was asked about them. “Ever since Catching Kelce, everybody’s been infatuated with Travis’ love life. So, I don’t really know what’s going on there,” he joked. “I know Trav is having fun, and we’ll see what happens with whoever he ends up with.”
Travis and Jason had joked about the younger of the Kelce brothers trying to give Taylor a friendship bracelet when he attended The Eras Tour on their New Heights podcast. “I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it,” Travis said. “She doesn’t meet anybody or at least she didn’t want to meet me so I took it personal.”