Anyone who’s been keeping up with Travis Kelce off the football field knows he’s the guy who can charm just about anyone. From his New Heights banter with brother Jason Kelce to his roles on Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? and Grotesquerie, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has built a persona that falls neatly into the “boyish charm” box. That “Peter Pan” persona — which has also earned him some fair criticism — has been evolving. And surprise! Taylor Swift might just have something to do with it, at least according to Jason.
While chatting on TNT’s Steam Room last Friday, the former Philadelphia Eagle Center opened up about how seriously Travis has taken his relationship with Swift. “I remember the first time he said he was hanging out with her,” Jason shared. “And I remember just being like, ‘Are you kidding me? You’re hanging out with Taylor Swift? Like, that’s insane. That’s awesome for you.’”
To Jason, this connection felt different from the start, and it wasn’t just because his brother was dating a global superstar. “What also felt different was just the way he talks about her and talked about her from the moment he was with her,” Jason explained. “You could tell how much he really, really liked her right from the get-go.”
For those somehow wildly unaware of the Kelce-Swift timeline, the two were first romantically linked in September 2023, with Swift showing up at several of his games. They confirmed their relationship just a month later during a Saturday Night Live afterparty. From there, their romance has been one for the record books, filled with extravagant weekend getaways and both silly and sweet displays of affection. However, it appears their connection also brought lasting changes to Travis, especially in how he approaches life and relationships.
“One of the things I love so much about Travis is that he never grew up, like, he was like Peter Pan, and like, the Lost Boys,” Jason said during a discussion on the Fitz & Whit podcast. But when asked if Travis is maturing now, Jason didn’t hesitate. “For sure.”
“Trav, he is growing up. He’s still, though, got that youthful enthusiasm. I think he’ll kinda always have that — it’s just part of his personality, and I think it’s one of the reasons every teammate has loved playing with him,” he said, per Page Six.
It seems Swift has played a meaningful role in that evolution. While the two may keep things more private for now — Travis is taking time to decide his athletic future after the Chiefs’ disappointing Super Bowl loss, and Swift is taking some well-deserved time off after wrapping her career-defining Eras Tour — the impact of their relationship is clear. For Travis Kelce, growing up doesn’t mean losing his spark, so much as finding new ways to express it.
Before you go, click to see all of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s cutest PDA moments.
