Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a standout performance on Saturday, impressing pop star Taylor Swift, who was watching from a suite with WNBA player Caitlin Clark. Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, helping the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14. This win sent the Chiefs to their seventh consecutive AFC championship game.
Kelce, who has often elevated his game during the playoffs, shared his thoughts after the game: “I feel like if you’re going to step out here on the football field, you’ve always got something to prove.” Despite having a quieter regular season compared to his usual standard, Kelce stepped up in the postseason.
He added, “I wish it was something like it was just a flip of the switch and I could just turn it on like that. But I think it was everybody in that building, all week long, all, really, the past two to three weeks figuring out how to get our bodies the best rest and ready for the playoffs for a run like this. And, man, we came out firing on all cylinders today. That felt really good.”
Kelce’s performance kept Swift and Clark cheering throughout the game. Clark, a Chiefs fan, wore a red parka, and Swift, arriving about two hours before the game in cold weather, was dressed in a full Chanel outfit, which included a black-and-white tweed jacket, a quarter-zip romper, and pearl accessories.
Swift’s relationship with Kelce began last season after he invited her to a game against the Bears. Since then, the two have been seen together frequently, and their relationship has been followed closely by the media. Swift has spent more time in Kansas City lately after finishing her Eras Tour last month.
The Chiefs earned a first-round bye in the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a 15-2 record, securing the No. 1 seed. With their win over the Texans, they are now one step away from making NFL history by winning three consecutive Super Bowls.
Swift attended the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory in Las Vegas last February and is expected to follow them again if they make it to the big game this year.
Kelce, focused on the next challenge, said, “Right now, this one was great. We’re going to enjoy this one tonight. But the task at hand is going to be that AFC championship. You don’t get a three-peat by looking past that.”
In the game against the Texans, Kelce set several records. It was his 14th consecutive playoff game with at least 70 yards receiving, and his 15th game in a row with at least five catches, both of which are NFL records.
He also extended his playoff record for receptions to 172 and broke a tie with Jerry Rice for the most playoff games with 100 or more yards receiving, now having nine such games in his 12-year career.
Kelce is close to breaking two more records. He needs 226 more yards to surpass Jerry Rice’s postseason record of 2,245 yards, and he needs three more touchdown receptions to break Rice’s record of 22 career postseason touchdown catches.
“It’s playoff Trav. He’s a leader, man,” said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who remains undefeated (7-0) in the divisional round of the playoffs. “This is what he lives for, playing in these moments and making big-time plays.”
