Taylor Swift has had a huge impact on the NFL since she hard launched her relationship with Travis Kelce in September.

One report says the singer helped the league bring in over $33 million, which includes a 400% increase in jersey sales for Kelce alone.

Even though Taylor has expanded football’s reach and arguably introduced new folks to the sport who were otherwise uninterested, it hasn’t stopped the pop star for getting a wave of backlash, largely from people who are tired of the media wave surrounding Travis and Taylor.

Travis Acknowledged Taylor’s Impact On The NFL

Now that the Super Bowl is over (and Travis brought home his third win), the athlete is speaking about the hate Taylor has gotten from some NFL fans, but he’s in full defense mode.

Acknowledging the influence of what has been termed the “Taylor Swift effect,” Kelce demonstrated his awareness of how his relationship adds an extra layer of excitement to his public persona. The 34-year-old tight end recently revisited discussions surrounding his romance with the singer in an interview that resurfaced ahead of the Super Bowl earlier this month.

When asked about the impact his dating life has on the NFL landscape, Travis offered insights into his perspective. Without hesitation, he responded, “Obviously, this is mostly because Taylor’s in my life now and we got her to be part of Chiefs Kingdom.”

Travis Says He Gets Why Everyone Is So Interested In Their Romance

The tight end admitted he’s not surprised by all the attention that’s come with their high-profile romance, including the new wave of fans supporting his team, simply because he’s become known as Taylor’s boyfriend.

“And sure enough, that brought an entire entourage of human beings who just love to support her and love to support everything that she’s about,” Travis continued.

When questioned about how he manages being in the public eye alongside Taylor, Travis emphasized that he never wants football enthusiasts to question his dedication to the NFL.

“I never want the people in the building to ever have the idea that I’m not focused on the game, I’m not focused on being my best at football and not having all my focus and all my attention to my craft and making sure that I’m accountable in the biggest game of our lives,” Travis went on, adding he understands why there’s so much “interest” in his romance with Taylor.

“With that being said, I do, you know, have a guarded approach to it. But at the same time, I know what me and Taylor have is special, so I get it,” he continued.

There’s bound to be even more attention surrounding Traylor’s romance, now that Swift has announced her 11th album will debut in April, titled “The Tortured Poet’s Society.” Many Swifties hope that it’ll not only shine light on her current romance, but given context to her break-up with Joe Alwyn, which happened at the start of last year after over 6 years together. There are also reports that Travis is joining Taylor on the European leg of her Eras tour.