'You can see her business mind putting it together. It's almost like she's trying to become a coach.'
Head coach Andy Reid might have some competition in the Kansas City Chiefs' locker room next season -- at least, according to Patrick Mahomes!
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is featured on the 2024 TIME100 list, and in his profile interview, he shared his thoughts on teammate Travis Kelce's high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift, which took center stage this past season as the Chiefs battled their way to their third NFL championship in the last five years.
"[The Chiefs] went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor's fanbase," he shares.
While some fans felt that Swift's presence at nearly every Chiefs game -- from the regular season, throughout the playoffs, and to Super Bowl LVIII -- was a distraction or annoyance, Mahomes said getting to know Swift better only left him more impressed with the superstar performer.
"I've met a lot of famous people now in my life," muses Mahomes, who grew up around the spotlight, as his father, Pat Mahomes, played Major League Baseball for over a decade. "Taylor's probably the most down-to-earth person that's been on that stage for that long."
"She's never not working," he continues. "Even when she's taking her downtime, she's working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks. Even when she's talking about football, when she's learning it, you can see her business mind putting it together. 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."
Swift and her legion of devoted fans gave the NFL an extra boost last season, as the Chiefs' Super Bowl run became the most-watched NFL playoffs ever. And while some football fans rolled their eyes anytime the camera cut to Swift cheering on Kelce in her VIP box, Mahomes said he and his team simply "embraced" the extra attention.
"We like having that visibility. At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport," he explains. "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."
"We didn't let other people's outside noise affect us," he adds. "Even though we struggled throughout the season, we kept our minds in the right places. Whenever the lights got the brightest, guys showed up."
Following his second Super Bowl-winning season in a row, Kelce has been taking some time off to relax and enjoy his burgeoning relationship. He was spotted attending several stops on Swift's Eras Tour, and the pair recently attended the Coachella Music Festival together, sharing plenty of sweet moments -- and even a little PDA -- during the weekend.
"Taylor and Travis were so excited to go to Coachella together," a source told ET earlier this week. "They wanted to be there to support their friends and just have fun. They had the best time at the festival and were in their own world even though so many people were around them. They are very in love and in sync in so many aspects of their lives, and it's very sweet to see."
Another source added, "Travis has always loved going to Coachella, and having Taylor by his side made it all the better. The happy couple enjoyed the weekend's festivities, supporting Taylor's famous friends during their live sets. The two are continuing to explore their relationship by supporting each other's endeavors and doing what every other couple does, and that's go on dates. This is one of many adventures yet to come for the duo."
The full 2024 TIME100 list and additional covers will be revealed April 17 on Time.com.
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