Patrick Mahomes Says Taylor Swift Generated More Chiefs Buzz Than Him

Patrick Mahomes has nothing but positive things to say about teammate Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, and her impact on the Kansas City Chiefs.

“No hate, Patrick Mahomes is unquestionably the best QB in the league and when it’s all said and done has a chance to be the GOAT … but Time Magazine cover? Taylor Swift (I hate to say it) generated more revenue/buzz for the Chiefs by sitting her ass down in the box seats,” one user wrote via X earlier this month alongside the Chiefs quarterback’s Time cover story.

Mahomes, 28, reacted to the quip in a video shared by Complex on Wednesday, April 24, laughing off the comment. “That is true,” he conceded. “But she was, like, the Time Person of the Year a couple months before that, so it’s really cool to be on the cover of Time.”

He continued, “It does help whenever your best friend and your homie is dating the most famous woman in the world.”

Mahomes couldn’t help but gush about Swift, 34, earlier this month when he was revealed as the second of this year’s Time100 cover stars. “Taylor’s probably the most down-to-earth person that’s been on that stage for that long,” he said in his interview.

Mahomes noted that Swift — who began dating Kelce, 34, last summer — has found a hobby in learning about football after attending more than 10 NFL games throughout the 2023-2024 season, including the Super Bowl in February.

“Even when she’s talking about football, when she’s learning it, you can see her business mind putting it together,” Mahomes explained. “It’s almost like she’s trying to become a coach. ‘Why can’t you try this, this, and this?’ She’s asking the right questions.”

Mahomes also credited Swift and Kelce’s relationship for transforming the Chiefs from “a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team.” He added, “That came from Taylor’s fanbase.”

While some had criticized the NFL’s coverage of Swift during the season, Mahomes said that he and his teammates “embraced” it.

“We like having that visibility,” he shared. “At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport. We want to make it fun, where kids grow up and play football and show their personality and be who they are. This year really magnified that.”

Swift, for her part, was named the Time’s Person of the Year in December 2023. In the interview, she spoke about her newfound love of the game. “Football is awesome, it turns out,” Swift quipped at the time. “I’ve been missing out my whole life.”

Through her romance with Kelce, Swift has grown particularly close with Patrick and his wife, Brittany Mahomes. The women were seen cheering on their partners — and sharing secret handshakes — at several Chiefs games.

“They have a really genuine friendship and love hanging out at the games together and cheering on their men,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in January. “Brittany loves that Taylor is dating Travis, and she’s so supportive of their relationship. They have a very similar sense of humor and are always cracking jokes and laughing.”