NFL announcer slips in Taylor Swift reference after Travis Kelce touchdown amid dating rumours

Travis’ brother recently said he cannot comment on dating rumours

An NFL announcer amusingly referenced Taylor Swift following Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce’s first touchdown of the season amid rumours the pair are dating.

On Sunday 17 September, the Chiefs’ second game of the football season was against the Jacksonville Jaguars, during which the Jaguars lost 17-9. The only touchdown of the third quarter was made by Kelce after he missed the team’s first game following an injury. The game’s announcer used the opportunity to mention the player’s rumoured relationship with Taylor Swift.

“Kelce finds a blank space for the score,” announcer Ian Eagle said during Sunday’s game, moments after the Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught a pass in the end zone. “Blank Space” is a Swift song that came out in 2014.

The pun came just a few days after Kelce’s brother, Jason, spoke on Prime’s Thursday Night Football, where he was asked about rumours that his younger brother is dating the Grammy winner. “I’ve seen these rumours. I cannot comment,” he told co-host Tony Gonzalez.

The 35-year-old father of three noted that ever since his brother’s short-lived reality dating series Catching Kelce, which premiered on E! in 2016, “everyone’s been infatuated with Travis’ love life”.

“I don’t really know what’s going on there,” Jason continued. “I know Travis is having fun, we’ll see what happens with whoever he ends up with."

Jason’s tight-lipped comment comes amid rumours that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the “Anti-Hero” singer are “quietly hanging out”.

A report from The Messenger claimed on Tuesday that Kelce and Swift recently hung out when she was in New York City. “Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out,” the source said. “She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago.”

Following the report, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Swift and Kelce are not officially dating. “Travis has been into Taylor for a while and definitely has a crush on her. He is a simple guy that is very funny, charismatic, chill, and loves playing football,” they said.

Back in July, Kelce admitted on his podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, that he tried - and failed - to give Swift his number after attending one of her Eras Tour concerts. The 33-year-old football star revealed that he even made Swift a friendship bracelet, in line with Swiftie tradition, but he was left “disappointed” when things didn’t go according to plan.

“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,” he explained to his brother on their podcast. “So I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”

“If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it,” Kelce said. However, he wasn’t able to meet Swift after the show, and he jokingly told listeners that he "took it personal”.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Swift and Kelce for comment.