Alex Rodriguez thinks Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s budding romance is a home run for the NFL.
“I love it, I think it’s great,” Rodriguez, 48, told E! News in a Wednesday, October 18, interview, adding that the attention around the pair is bringing a little more “energy” to the world of football. “It’s cool,” he said.
Rodriguez is no stranger to life in the spotlight. The former MLB player dated A-list celebrities like Madonna, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz before his engagement to Jennifer Lopez. The duo were together for two years before calling it quits in April 2021. Rodriguez is now retired from baseball and enjoying life with girlfriend Jaclyn Cordeiro and daughters Natasha, 18, and Ella, 15 — whom he shares with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis — but can still remember the feeling of trying to impress a loved one in the stands.
“In high school, if there’s a girl you have a crush on, you want to put on a good show,” he quipped. “We’re all showmen.”
Kelce, 34, has certainly put his best foot forward since first being linked to Swift, 33, earlier this year. The athlete has won all of his games with the Kansas City Chiefs — despite sustaining an ankle injury — this season, with the pop star there to support him on three different occasions. She first made an appearance at the Chiefs vs. Bears game in September, before cheering the team on against the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos the following month.
“I just thought it was awesome that everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her,” Kelce gushed during an episode of his “New Heights” podcast after Swift’s first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium in September. “She looked amazing, To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high fives with mom [Donna Kelce], to see how Chiefs kingdom was all excited that she was there … it was definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure.”
Kelce has shown up for Swift as well. He attended her Eras Tour show in Kansas City in July, where he made headlines for trying — and failing — to give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it. It’s unknown if he’ll visit her when she kicks off the international leg of her tour in November, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month that the NFL star “supports her independence” but also makes her feel “safe and protected” amid their blossoming romance.
“Travis is different from anybody Taylor has dated before and she is falling for him more and more as the days go by,” the insider continued, noting that Kelce “goes out of his way to make Taylor feel special in any way he can.”
The duo’s respective friend groups also “couldn’t be happier” about the matchup, with the source telling Us that pals “close to Taylor and Travis think they make an amazing power couple.” The insider added that despite the twosome’s “busy schedules” they “try and make as much time for each other as they can” and are respectful of each other’s demanding careers.
When it comes to the extra attention from the public, Kelce is taking it in stride. “We’re learning with the paparazzi just taking photos from all over the place. It comes with it,” he shared during a press conference earlier this month. “You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason. You just have to keep living, learning and enjoying the moments. At the end of the day, I have always been good at compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused. I will just keep rolling with that.”
Swift, meanwhile, has yet to publicly comment on her new beau, but a second insider revealed to Us that the singer has “high hopes” for the relationship and is “enjoying getting to know Kelce.” While Swift kept a notably low profile during her nearly six-year relationship with ex Joe Alwyn, whom she split from in April, an additional source said that she’s “not going to hide anymore” and instead is choosing to “be her authentic self and enjoy life.”
“Taylor is at a point in her life where she’s no longer willing to hold back,” the insider explained. “If something feels right — like it does with Travis — she’s jumping in with both feet. She’s very happy and loving life right now.”
