Winners and losers of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce engagement: The NFL takes a back seat

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged.

The NFL’s 2025 season opener, which kicks off in nine days, immediately takes a back seat. The 2025 NFL season takes a back seat. Super Bowl 60 will take a back seat. Christmas will take a back seat. Trying to broker world peace remains in the back seat.

Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs’ play their Week 1 contest in Brazil 10 days hence, and maybe that gets to ride shotgun, especially given multiple reports that Swift will travel to São Paulo for her fiancée’s 2025 regular-season debut against the Los Angeles Chargers – presumably in far more comfortable fashion than her harried, trans-Pacific trip from an Eras Tour concert date in Japan to Las Vegas to see K.C. win Super Bowl 58 last year. And the league's latest dalliance with South American fans will doubtless wind up a resounding success − because everyone south of the Amazon will come to catch a glimpse of Swift.

She and her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to drop in October, are definitely in the driver’s seat amid the latest seismic news event created by, almost inarguably, the world’s most famous woman. Kelce? Oh, yeah, he’s got a supporting role here, too, maybe in a sidecar or caravaning.

But let’s show Trav the respect he deserves by meting out the winners and losers (with a heavy football flavor) of what is almost undoubtedly – maybe regretfully, maybe hopefully and maybe both – going to be the biggest story of the year.

WINNERS

Travis Kelce (the football player)

Play as long as you want, bud. You’re pulling down $17.3 million in the final season of your contract, presumably enough to get you started on a payment plan for what needs to be an appropriately sized ring for your Boo. You’re coming off what’s probably your worst NFL season from an individual standpoint and a dismal showing, along with the rest of your Chiefs teammates, in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 earlier this year. Yet it already seemed like your football fire had been stoked anew well ahead of Tuesday's bombshell and that you’re ready for a resurgent 2025 – which might bring you a fourth Lombardi Trophy and perhaps burnish your (arguable) case as the greatest tight end in league history. And, regardless of what happens, stay ready for 2026, too. We assume your wife will be out touring and you’ll need something to do on the home front. May as well while away the hours and the separation anxiety by hanging out with Paddy Mahomes and Andy Reid as much as you can!

Travis Kelce (the entertainer)

Football, commercials, movies – which you’ve admitted have detracted from your day job – podcasts (now that Swift has made her “New Heights” debut), do whatever you want, pal. If Tom Brady taught us anything, it’s that you can be all you can be (old Army slogan) when your more talented spouse is bringing home the real bacon.

Chiefs Kingdom

The Chiefs are 32-9, including two Super Bowl berths and one championship, since Swift and Kelce began dating in 2023 – a sterling record that has far more to do with sidestreaming the A-list relationship than anything Mahomes, Reid or GM Brett Veach are doing. Team owner Clark Hunt recently relayed that the team’s fan base now skews heavily female after its influx of supportive Swifties. We can only imagine what the wedding gift tally will be from the Kingdom if Kelce picks up two rings over the next year or so.

Jason Kelce

'Sup, BIL! Some suggested the former Eagles All-Pro was a bit too ubiquitous during the media blitz that was his first year of “retirement.” Now? Folks won’t be able to get enough now that you’re basically the sibling of a commoner marrying into royalty.

Taylor Swift (the football analyst)

Did you hear her breaking down the game on “New Heights” while suggesting she’ll be an NFL analyst in 16 months? Yes, please! There are so many telecasts already in need of a Swift infusion – not sure why we need to wait a year-plus. Oh right, the album and, presumably, another tour. Damn.

Taylor Swift (the entertainer)

You seem to marrying a good dude, T. Kelce’s teammates seem to love him almost to a man – I’ve asked about him enough, annually, during the Super Bowl. He’s talented, self-deprecating and has been a good advocate to those who need one. Salud.

So moving on, “Showgirl” and whatever follows will doubtless be another resounding smash – and Kelce has doubtless added some inspiration along the way. Maybe more is to come in the wake of married life, too. But can you imagine if this whole hullabaloo ends in divorce? I’m told Taylor does some of her best work in the aftermath of failed relationships, so …

(And I’m not stupid, Swift was never going to end up in the “losers” section lest I be doxed, canceled and disappeared. And I caught part of the Eras Tour on Disney+ − good stuff. Also … U2, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin and Billy Joel forever and you’ll never change my mind, Swifties, no matter what a talented troubadour you support!!!)

LOSERS

Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld

And you thought the league MVP and Oscar-winning actress were going to produce the biggest NFL wedding news of 2025. As if. (Wait, Steinfeld hasn’t won an Academy Award yet? Fine. But she was nominated for “True Grit” in 2011.)

Aaron Rodgers and … Brittani

This was the biggest NFL wedding of 2025 prior to Allen-Steinfeld. Allegedly. Still waiting to see the photo album, A-Rod, but we know you like to foment a good conspiracy theory, so ...

Justin Herbert and Madison Beer

Google recently made me aware that the Chargers’ quarterback is allegedly linked to Beer − and I legit thought he was promoting a microbrew. (Apparently, she's a singer.) Yet I was also told by an unnamed associate that the couple (?) was a sub-Kirkland brand NFL relationship compared to Allen and Steinfeld, so … not sure how a guy who’s never won a playoff game and his GF (?) made it into this story.

Tight End University?

Kelce helped launch this three-day summer school designed to help his positional peers in 2021. Similar to “New Heights,” Swift helped to take it to the next level(s) by providing a brief Nashville performance at Tight End U earlier this summer. But surely Trav can’t remain involved with this as his career winds down? Especially if TEU interferes with cake tastings, destination site surveys, or pre-nup negotiations.

Just a casual surprise performance at @te_university ✨ pic.twitter.com/Yfevp3tkIM

— NFL (@NFL) June 25, 2025

NFL roster cutdowns

And you thought the league’s 32 teams paring their rosters to 53 men per would be Tuesday’s preeminent football news. Pfft. TRAV MADE THE TEAM Y’ALL, HE’S NOT GETTING CUT!! Lamar Jackson was, however, released after the Swift-Kelce announcement and didn’t even rate a blip. (Just kidding. As far as you know.)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce engagement