The Athletic kick off: Taylor Swift to attend Chiefs season opener vs. Ravens to cheer on… from a Source

By Jenna West, Dianna Russini and Nate Taylor

Taylor Swift’s Chiefs era is continuing. The pop star will attend Thursday’s NFL season opener between Kansas City and the Baltimore Ravens to cheer on her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a source briefed on the security arrangements at Arrowhead Stadium said.

Swift is no stranger to Kelce’s games since the couple went public with their relationship last season. She made her first gameday appearance when the Chiefs hosted the Chicago Bears in Week 3 and became a regular staple at games while on a break from her Eras Tour last fall. Swift attended the Chiefs’ win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game and then made the long-distance trip from her show in Tokyo to see the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

The 14-time Grammy winner is in the midst of a two-month tour break after her European leg ended in August, meaning she could conceivably attend many of Kelce’s early-season games — including the first five weeks of the season. The tour restarts in October in North America, continuing until her final show in Vancouver on Dec. 8.

There are three shows — Oct. 20, Oct. 27 and Dec. 8 — that fall on the same dates as Chiefs regular-season games, although there are four other games in Weeks 9-12 that may be difficult for Swift to attend due to her tour dates.

During a busy offseason for Kelce, he attended several Eras Tour shows around the globe, including a surprise on-stage appearance in June for Swift’s show at London’s Wembley Stadium. Kelce brought a small team of trainers with him to each tour stop to keep up his offseason training.

In April, Kelce signed a new two-year contract with the Chiefs, making him the highest-paid tight end for the first time in his 11-year career. The deal, which runs through the 2025 season, is set to pay him $17 million fully guaranteed this year.

Kelce, who turns 35 in October, told Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach before signing his contract extension that he thinks he has at least two more good years left in his career, according to a team source. That tracks with what Kelce said publicly in June following his extension where he said he’d play “until the wheels fall off.”

Kelce and the Chiefs kick off the 2024 regular season against the Ravens at 8:20 p.m. ET.