Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs ended 2023 on a high note! The tight end, 34, and his team clinched the AFC West division title on Sunday afternoon after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a New Year’s Eve matchup with a final score of 25-17.
Following the game, the Chiefs shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the celebrations going on in the locker room at Arrowhead Stadium. In a series of photos posted on Instagram, the players and their coaches could be seen clapping, cheering and hugging as they soaked up the moment. One shot showed Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes doing a victory handshake. In another, defensive tackle Chris Jones presented Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with a gift in a small bag.
It appeared that Reid gave a little post-game speech as he stood in one photo with his hand on his chest while his players gathered around him. In the background, Kelce playfully embraced kicker Harrison Butker from behind. “New Year’s Eve ain’t the only thing we’re celebrating tonight!” the Chiefs captioned the post.
Kelce had his No. 1 fan in the house as he notched 16 yards during the game to help inch his team toward their big win. Girlfriend Taylor Swift watched the on-field action from a suite at the stadium, showing off her team spirit by wearing what appeared to be a replica of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs jacket.
Swift, 34, arrived at the stadium solo, as seen in a video shared by sports journalist Tracy Wolfson on X (formerly Twitter). The “Karma” singer greeted some fans before making her way to the suite, where she enthusiastically cheered on her boyfriend.
The Grammy winner also attended the Chiefs’ Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders — although that matchup had a disappointing outcome. The Chiefs lost to their AFC West rival 20-14, with the Raiders taking an early lead before scoring on two Kansas City turnovers within a seven-second span in the first quarter. Kelce alluded to the crushing loss on Friday’s bonus episode of his New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast. When his sister-in-law Kylie Kelce, who is married to his brother Jason, asked how his holiday was, he said Christmas was “f—ing the worst, not gonna lie.”
“I’ve had better,” he added, seemingly referring to the losing game. However, Travis went on to share that the holiday turned around for him as he hinted at some festive downtime spent with Swift. “But it ended well, with good Christmas cheer and great people, and that’s always gonna save Christmas — no matter if you lose to the Raiders or not.”
