Taylor Swift eclipses fiancé Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs opener from thousands of miles away

Taylor Swift was not in Brazil for the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5 at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo. Yet her presence was felt across the stadium, on social media, and even in Travis Kelce’s press conferences.

Taylor Swift becomes the talking point despite skipping Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs entered their first game of the season without Taylor Swift in the stands. Swifties showed up anyway, waving cardboard masks of her face and wearing shirts with her image. Some fans even tracked helicopters near the stadium, convinced she would arrive.She did not. But that did not stop Swift from dominating the coverage. Her recent engagement to Travis Kelce kept her name in the headlines, and ESPN Brazil asked Kelce directly about life since going public with the relationship.

“Well, I got one more ring from it,” Kelce said, referencing both the engagement and his three Super Bowl titles.Swift had already told the “New Heights” podcast in August that she had become “obsessed” with football after watching Kelce. She spoke about celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ draft pick of Xavier Worthy like a lifelong fan. Kelce confirmed in GQ that her knowledge of the game now goes beyond the basics.

Even while thousands of miles away, Taylor Swift was central to the narrative of the Kansas City Chiefs’ opener.

Travis Kelce struggles in Kansas City Chiefs loss as Taylor Swift watches from afar

Travis Kelce began his 13th NFL season with a performance that fell short of the hype. The Kansas City Chiefs lost 27-21 to the Los Angeles Chargers, breaking a seven-game win streak in the rivalry.Kelce was nearly invisible in the first half, finishing with just one catch for 10 yards through three quarters.

He collided with teammate Xavier Worthy on the third snap of the game, leaving the rookie with a shoulder injury. Frustrations grew after multiple penalties, and at one point Kelce slammed his helmet against offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor’s.In the second half, Kelce was struck in the face by Los Angeles Chargers lineman Teair Tart. He later found space for a 37-yard touchdown, but the Los Angeles Chargers answered quickly with scores from Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston.

Kelce ended the night with a touchdown, but also a costly drop late in the fourth quarter.The loss added more weight to Kelce’s offseason comments about retirement, which resurfaced after the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He admitted then that he considered walking away but chose to continue. Now, with speculation around his future and his engagement to Taylor Swift, every moment will be magnified.Read more:Taylor Swift skips Chiefs vs Chargers game in Brazil as Travis Kelce kicks off season