Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift.Photo:JC Olivera/Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty
JC Olivera/Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty
Travis Kelceand the Kansas City Chiefs are handling theTaylor Swiftera with professionalism, the team’s President Mark Donovan tells PEOPLE.
Speaking to PEOPLE at MetLife Stadium before thematchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets, Donovan says his team isn’t worried about the media frenzy surrounding Kelce, 33, and Taylor Swift’s rumored relationship, and if it might become a distraction for the team.
“Travis is a smart team player,” says Donovan of the Chiefs tight end. “He can handle it and has been very professional.”
Travis Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs team president Mark Donovan.Courtesy of The Kansas City Chiefs
Courtesy of The Kansas City Chiefs
Despite the attention surrounding Swift and Kelce’s rumored romance, Donovan insists the NFL star is “focused on the right things and doing it the right way,” he says. “Our locker room has the maturity, leadership and respect to handle it.”
Instead of a distraction, the Chiefs President, who has been in the role since 2011, says the extra focus on Kansas City’s games “has been fun and good for everybody involved.” Viewership skyrocketed whenSwift attended her first game on Sept. 24at Arrowhead Stadium.
According to FOX Sports, the game was the week’s highest-rated telecast on any network, with 24.3 million viewers. Despite the 41-10 trouncing over the Chicago Bears, the game especially captivated female viewers, ages 12 to 49, the network said.
Taylor Swift reacts during a game between the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.David Eulitt/Getty
David Eulitt/Getty
Donovan says it’s a “real benefit” to have more young, female fans tuning into the NFL hoping to catch a glimpse of Swift on the broadcast.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
“I know I brought all this attention to me. Right, I’m the one — I didthe whole friendship bracelet thingand told everybody how butt hurt I was that I didn’t get to meet Taylor.”
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Kelce addressed the fan frenzy around him and Swift againduring a team press conference on Friday, saying that he’s “learning” how to navigate “paparazzi just taking photos from all over the place” after photographers have begun waiting for him at his Kansas City home.
The tight end added that he understands it’s all part of the territory that comes with Swift’s level of fame. “At the same time, it comes with it. It comes with it. You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason.”
Going forward, the NFL star said he’s “just got to keep living and learning and enjoying the moments” as he and Swift enjoy getting to know one another on a public stage.
Kelce also assured reporters that the possible romance with Swift won’t become a distraction for him during the NFL season. “At the end of the day, I’ve always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building, so I’ll just keep rolling with that,” he said.
source: people.com
