Travis Kelce Expected to Play in Chiefs’ 1st Preseason Game

Travis Kelce will play in the Kansas City Chiefs’ first preseason game when his team faces off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, August 10.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid revealed he planned on playing Kelce, 34, Patrick Mahomes and additional starters in the game. Reid’s strategy differs from other NFL coaches, who typically rest their star players in the preseason. Reid, for his part, shared his thought process.

“I’m gonna play everybody,” Reid said to the media on Wednesday, August 7. “All those young guys, I’d love to see how they compete. The higher draft picks are gonna be in there [against] a little bit better competition, so I want to see how they handle that.”

However, the athletes will not play the entire game and their time will be limited to one quarter.

“I allow ’em to get into the swing of things, and the ones know how to do that,” Reid explained. “Both sides of the ball, they know how to go about doing that, but somewhere you’ve got to get on there and shoot, and so it gives him an opportunity to do that.”

Kelce and his teammates reported to training camp in July. The tight end spent the majority of his offseason traveling with girlfriend Taylor Swift around the world. Swift, 34, and Kelce began dating in July 2023 and the Tortured Poets Department singer attended several of Kelce’s games last season. Swift cheered Kelce all the way to Super Bowl LVIII this February, where the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22.

Swift has been on the European leg of her Eras Tour since May. During one of her London shows in June, Kelce joined her onstage to perform during Swift’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” interlude.

Since returning to training camp, Kelce has interacted with fans of him and Swift. Earlier this month, the football player autographed one fan’s custom-made Swift and Chiefs jersey.

Swift, for her part, was scheduled to perform in Vienna starting Thursday, August 8. However, the concert was canceled due to an alleged terrorist plot that targeted the show. Swift was scheduled to perform three shows at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium from August 8 to August 10 before the authorities learned of the suspected threat.

The shows were subsequently canceled and two suspects were taken into custody in connection to the crime. A third suspect was later arrested.

“Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Vienna shows [have been] canceled due to government officials’ confirmation of planned terrorist attack,” read a statement from concert organizers Barracuda Music. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”

Neither Swift nor Kelce have publicly spoken out about the alleged terror plot or the canceled shows.