"They won’t have Taylor Swift indefinitely" - Mike Florio delivers his verdict on Chiefs wanting permanent Christmas fixture
The Kansas City Chiefs want Christmas football to be their thing. However, sportswriter and analyst Mike Florio isn’t buying it, including the Taylor Swift effect.
Swift’s presence has been a game-changer for the NFL. Ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, 16% of U.S. shoppers said that she influenced their spending on the event. According to the New York Times, there was a 7% increase in regular-season viewership compared to the previous season, partly thanks to Swift’s fanbase tuning in. With the Chiefs reportedly pushing to become a permanent Christmas fixture, Florio is questioning the long-term play.
“Our two cents? Don’t do it, NFL,” FLorio wrote on Thursday, via Pr Football Talk. “The Chiefs won’t permanently be competitive and relevant. They won’t have Patrick Mahomes forever. They won’t have Taylor Swift indefinitely. It’s far better to have flexibility in the event that the Chiefs become not a great team at some point down the line."
Kansas City reportedly hopes to become a Christmas staple, much like the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. However, as Florio pointed out, Detroit and Dallas earned their Turkey Day spots by stepping up when no one else wanted them, which is not the case with Christmas. Every team wants that massive standalone audience.
The Chiefs are a must-watch team. But what happens if they’re no longer a juggernaut? Florio suggested the NFL should take a year-by-year approach. He argued that the NFL should keep a flex option open because games that look good in May can "hit the dung heap by December."
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce’s 2024 slump: Age, offense or the Taylor Swift effect?
Travis Kelce didn’t look like himself in 2024. The KC's superstar tight finished with just 823 receiving yards over 17 games — his lowest total since 2015. Compared to his 1,416-yard peak in 2020, one can tell something was off. During the 2025 Super Bowl, Kelce managed only four catches for 39 yards in a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kelce didn’t sugarcoat it. The frustration ran so deep that he mulled over retirement.
“I let my guys down,” Kelce said on March 5, via the 'New Heights' podcast.
There’s also the Taylor Swift factor. Since their relationship took off in 2023, Kelce’s life has been under a global spotlight. From "Eras Tour" cameos to lyric shoutouts, his off-field presence exploded. However, with fame came distractions.
“So much attention on their relationship is not the best thing,” a source said on Tuesday, via US Weekly.
Kelce’s numbers dipped and fans are searching for answers. KC fans are likely hoping that next season won't be the same.