Kelly Stafford Expresses Fatigue Over Taylor Swift Spotlight at Chiefs Games

Taylor Swift is the highest profile significant other in the NFL, and at least one prominent WAG got “tired” of it and felt “jealousy” over the attention the pop superstar gets while attending boyfriend Travis Kelce‘s Kansas City Chiefs games.

“Now, I have never once said I didn’t like Taylor Swift — ever,” Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s wife, Kelly Stafford, prefaced her comments on the Thursday, October 31, episode of her “The Morning After” podcast.

“But I will say I kind of got tired of the Chiefs’ coverage of it — actually the NFL’s coverage — of this budding relationship last year,” she told cohost Hank Winchester. “And, can she do anything about that? No, she can’t.”

Taylor, 34, made worldwide news when she attended Travis’ September 24, 2023, home game against the Chicago Bears, where the duo confirmed their relationship. The NFL subsequently began using the “Lavender Haze” singer in promos, along with shots of Travis, 35, looking adoringly up at her in the stands.

Every time Taylor attended one of Travis’ games, she was prominently highlighted, showing her reaction to her boyfriend making big plays, as well as celebrating scores with the rest of the Chiefs fans.

“It was a good business decision for the NFL, but I almost felt like it was outshining the games. And that’s what bothered me,” Kelly, 34, explained. “I was a little jealous of the fact that they were getting all this attention and all of a sudden the football game was the sideshow. So yeah, maybe I let jealousy get the best of me.”

Kelly continued, “I watched my husband work his ass off and all of these guys who work for the league work their asses off and all of a sudden they’re like the sideshow.”

The Chiefs and the Rams never played against each other in the 2023 NFL season, but Taymania took over the league.

Taylor revealed in a December 2023 interview with Time that she had no control over how many times she was shown during games. “I’m just there to support Travis,” she told the publication. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”

Kelly admitted that there was a huge upside to Taylor suddenly becoming an NFL presence. She and Matthew, 36, share four daughters, who are huge fans of the “Down Bad” singer.

“I am so thankful for her in a lot of ways because there are so many more women watching, there are little girls watching with their dads and I do think it definitely makes my girls love football more knowing that she’s adjacent to it,” she said. “I honestly think my girls are prouder of their dad because he’s playing the sport that Taylor Swift loves.”

Matthew and Kelly welcomed twin girls Sawyer and Chandler in March 2017. Their third daughter, Hunter, was born the following year in August 2018, while Tyler arrived in June 2020.

The couple flew with their four girls to see Taylor perform in New Orleans, Louisiana, at her penultimate U.S. Eras tour stop over the weekend of October 25. Matthew’s Rams played a Thursday Night Football game on October 24, allowing him the weekend off to attend a show as a family.

Kelly shared an Instagram video of the quick trip on Thursday, October 31, starting with the family on a private plane flying from L.A. to New Orleans that was covered in colorful balloons inside. It showed the girls making friendship bracelets before landing.

At the concert, Matthew and Kelly’s daughters dressed identically in black Taylor Swift T-shirts and matching glittery red skirts. The girls sang along to the Grammy winner’s songs and had floor seats near the stage. After the show, Kelly shared video of the happy yet exhausted children on the plane fast asleep and heading home.

“Thank you, Taylor Swift, for making my girls love music … and football,” she wrote in the caption. “Also, Matthew smiling from behind them as they sing and dance … The ultimate #girldad.”