You don’t need to be a football fan to know that Taylor Swift has taken over the NFL recently, showing up to Kansas City Chiefs games to support rumored boyfriend Travis Kelce.
The 33-year-old singer joined Brittany Mahomes—wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes—to watch the team take on the Los Angeles Chargers on October 22. The pair were filmed dancing and cheering on the Chiefs at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, but it was their “secret handshake” that got the internet’s attention.
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In footage broadcast by the NFL, the pop star can be seen clapping hands with the 28-year-old soccer star, before pulling her towards her for a hip bump. However, Jimmy Kimmel said that this is bad news for him, as it’s allegedly the same secret handshake he shares with comedian Guillermo Rodriguez.
“The big story in the NFL this weekend, the big story every weekend, [is] did Taylor Swift go to the Chiefs game?” Kimmel said during the October 23 showing of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“Why sure enough, she did show up in Kansas City to cheer on Travis Kelce, and also to reveal her new secret handshake with Brittany Mahomes.
“Which I have to say is a bummer for us, because that’s our secret handshake,” Kimmel adds, before turning to Rodriguez as he walks on stage.
The duo recreated Swift and Mahomes’ handshake as laughter erupted from the audience, before 52-year-old Rodriguez shuffled away.
Since being shared to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, Kimmel and Rodriguez’s version of the handshake has received more than 18,300 views.
Swift first appeared at one of Kelce’s games on September 24, where she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears 41-10.
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The 33-year-old Kelce reportedly tried to give Swift his phone number in July after attending one of her gigs. The football star admitted to having a crush on the singer-songwriter during an episode of his New Heights podcast, which he hosts with brother and Philadelphia Eagles center, Jason Kelce.
In early September, rumors began to circle that the pair had been “quietly hanging out,” with Jason Kelce seeming to confirm the gossip—before backtracking—during an appearance on 94 WIP sports radio.
Since Swift began attending Chiefs games, Kelce has gained millions of followers on social media, while sales of his jersey increased by 400 percent in September.
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However, the persistent coverage of the music icon during NFL games has irked some football fans, leading to backlash against Kelce’s rumored romance.
Even the Kelce brothers have said that the NFL “needs to calm down” on the Swift coverage.
“I think everybody is just, like, overwhelmed,” Travis Kelce said during a recent episode of New Heights. “They’re overdoing it a little bit. Especially my situation. I think they’re just trying to have fun with it.”
Newsweek has reached out to Jimmy Kimmel, Guillermo Rodriguez, Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes for comment via email and Instagram.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.