When Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift began their relationship in the summer of 2023, the attention surrounding them surged almost overnight — and the impact went far beyond just the Kansas City Chiefs star.
Long before Swift entered the picture, Jason and Travis Kelce were already well known within the NFL world. But for plenty of people more familiar with singing along to Love Story than watching football, the brothers were largely off the radar until the romance made headlines.
Jason built his profile after joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, while Travis followed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. The brothers then launched their podcast, New Heights, in 2022, but their audience expanded dramatically a year later as the Kelce family found itself at the center of one of pop culture’s biggest stories.
Speaking on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Jason explained how quickly things changed: “It was definitely gradual, and then it just like was a very big flip, obviously, when Taylor and Travis started dating.”
Although Travis was at the center of the relationship, Jason said the spotlight extended across the whole Kelce family, including himself and their mother, Donna.
He described the shift in his fanbase, saying: “I went from very much being dominated by large fat men coming up to me and shaking my hand and thanking me for being an Eagle to little girls,” Jason revealed.
“It was quite a shift of people that became fans.”
The public first got a glimpse of Travis’ interest in Swift during an episode of New Heights, when he shared that he had tried to pass along his phone number after attending her Eras Tour in July 2023.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Travis told his older brother.
“I was a little butt hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” he continued.
Travis went on to say he had hoped to give the singer his number, but the opportunity never came. Still, the clip spread quickly online, eventually catching Swift’s attention — and from there, their relationship took off.
Swift’s first public appearance at a Chiefs game came on September 24, 2023, and the pair’s relationship quickly became a staple of NFL broadcasts, celebrity gossip coverage and social media chatter. In August 2025, the couple announced their engagement, and they later married at New York’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month, according to reports.
Jason has since said the couple’s relationship changed the way the entire family was perceived, not just Travis. The attention has followed the Kelces into podcasts, television appearances and public events, making Jason one of the most recognizable retired players in the league.
It was revealed that the newlyweds shared a duet during the wedding dinner, and Jason said Swift was not the only standout performer of the evening.
“Trav can sing, he’s always been able to carry a tune,” his older brother gushed.
“Obviously, pale in comparison to some of the other people singing that night but he did okay. Trav is very good.”
Among the major names reported to have performed during the July 3 ceremony were Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney.