Jason Kelce says he’s “happy” about his brother Travis Kelce’s now-confirmed romance with Taylor Swift, but admits he has some concerns over the global media firestorm the relationship has ignited.
The Philadelphia Eagles center told NBC Sports on Monday that Travis Kelce has been experiencing “another level of stardom that football players typically don’t deal with” since the start of his relationship with the world’s most famous female pop star.
“It’s certainly been weird, the level that it is now,” he said. “On one hand, I’m happy for my brother that he seems to be in a relationship that he’s excited about, that he is genuine about. But there’s another end of it where it’s like, ‘Man, this is a lot.’ There’s paparazzi talking about him fueling his car before the game today and I’m like, ‘Is that really necessary information to share?’”
Pointing out that his brother is no stranger to the spotlight, the NFL player told NBC Sports there have nonetheless been some “alarms” over just how “over-in-pursuit people can be.”
“Overall, he can deal with some of this,” he said. “As long as it’s not, you know, becoming a threat to his safety and things like that.”
Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Swift finally confirmed their relationship last week after months of heated speculation. The couple was photographed holding hands in New York while departing an afterparty for “Saturday Night Live,” on which they’d both made surprise appearances.
Earlier this month, Travis Kelce accused the NFL of “overdoing it” when it came to encouraging the global scrutiny over his private life.
His employers, however, responded by pointing out that there are simply too many benefits for them to stop touting his relationship. Swift’s attendance at Chiefs games has led to a significant spike in TV viewership and, some say, an improvement in her boyfriend’s performance on the field.