A year ago, Taylor Swift showed up at Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on Travis Kelce, and now? She’s basically an NFL storyline of her own. What started as a fun pop culture crossover has turned into a massive business boost for the league. Millions of Swifties suddenly care about football, Kelce’s jersey sales exploded by 400%, and the NFL has racked up record-breaking engagement numbers. The league’s social media blew up, and even Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged her influence, saying, “Whatever that reason is, I’m good with it.” Love it or hate it, the “Taylor Swift Effect” is undeniable.

But not everyone is on board. During Super Bowl LIX, when Swift appeared on the jumbotron, some Eagles fans started booing—and Saquon Barkley wasn’t feeling it. Fresh off winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles’ star running back called out the unnecessary hate. “I remember that they showed her on the jumbotron and she got booed,” Barkley told Howard Stern. “I don’t get why she was getting hate there.” For him, it’s simple—Swift has done nothing but help grow the game. “She’s there supporting her significant other and she’s made the game bigger,” he said. “We’re all about… how can we expand the game… so I don’t get the slack that she’s getting.”

And honestly? He’s right. Since Swift started attending Chiefs games, the NFL has seen a 53% increase in female teenage viewership and a 24% jump in women aged 18-24 tuning in. Her presence has brought in an estimated $634 million in brand value for the league, pushing the total past $1 billion since she and Kelce became a thing. The Chiefs’ Instagram gained over 200,000 new followers, and even Julian Edelman noticed the shift, saying, “It’s the first time that I’d be sitting on a couch, and my daughter and her friends, they all talk about the Chiefs.”

The NFL is constantly trying to grow, scheduling games in London, Germany, Mexico, and soon Australia. Meanwhile, Swift has pulled in a massive new audience without the league even having to try. So why are some fans still mad about it? Whether people are watching for Travis Kelce‘s touchdowns or Taylor Swift’s reactions, they’re still watching. And for the NFL, that’s a massive W.

Travis Kelce: beating himself up, facing the future, and keeping it real

Travis Kelce has been on top of the football world for years, but this Super Bowl loss? This one stung. Just days after the Chiefs‘ 40-22 beatdown in Super Bowl LIX, Kelce sat down with his brother Jason on their New Heights podcast—except this time, there were no jokes, no laughs, just raw emotion. “It just wasn’t our day,” he admitted. “I’m kicking myself for some of the tiny, tiny decisions I made on the field, trying to do something more than what I was asked to do.” It wasn’t just about losing—Kelce felt like he let his team down.

You could hear the frustration in his voice. Every time the Chiefs seemed to get something going, something went wrong. “It wasn’t the play calls. It was the cumulative effort of everybody just not finding a way to get it done,” he said. He wasn’t just talking X’s and O’s—this one cut deeper. At times, it sounded like he was holding back tears like he was really starting to process just how big of a moment this was in his career.

And that’s because Kelce knows he’s running out of time. At 35 years old, with countless deep playoff runs under his belt, the grind is catching up to him. “I’ve played more football than anybody these past five, six years,” he said. “That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better, and it can drive you crazy at the same time.” For the first time, retirement feels real. He’s not making any big decisions yet, “I’m kicking every can down the road“. But the thought is definitely there.

One thing’s for sure: Kelce still loves this game. “I love my teammates. I love my coaches. Chiefs Kingdom, I’m sorry for how it ended,” he said, his voice cracking just a bit. Losing sucks, but what hurts even more is knowing he might not get many more shots at this. Whether he comes back for another run or decides to hang it up, this Super Bowl loss? It’s going to stay with him for a long time.