When one of the world’s best-selling musicians starts dating a ten-time Pro Bowl winner, speculation is bound to follow. Four months into Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship, rumors were already swirling about a possible engagement.

Multiple insider reports of Kelce asking for her father’s blessing to propose to Swift “sooner rather than later.” On the other hand, the closest direct hint from the couple is a witty comment from Kelce and Swift’s choice of coded jewelry.

With speculation at an all-time high, let’s dive into the latest updates on their romance, break down the swirling engagement rumors, explore fan reactions, and examine expert insights on when the long-anticipated proposal might finally happen.

How It All Started

When Travis Kelce first attended Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in July 2023, nobody thought much of it. After all, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was only one of millions of fans on five continents who attended the shows.

Nevertheless, fans were ecstatic when Kelce confessed on the New Heights podcast that he had hoped to give her a friendship bracelet with his number.

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As he later revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he “had somebody playing Cupid,” possibly from within the Swift family, because Taylor Swift reached out over the phone soon after the podcast was released.

A few months later, Kelce said on the Pat McAfee Show that he was making more advances at Swift. In his words, “It’s like a game of telephone…I told her, you know, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit,’…So we’ll see what happens in the near future.”

Swift showed up at Kelce’s game in September 2023. Fox Sports shared a video on X showing her cheering him on with his mother, Donna Kelce, and both stars were beaming as they left the Arrowhead Stadium together.

 

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After the game, Kelce and Swift bought out a trendy Kansas restaurant for an after-party with the Chiefs team and Kelce’s parents. An eyewitness told Entertainment Tonight they were “very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and lighthearted.”

However, photos from TMZ showed Swift sitting on Kelce’s lap and draping her arm around him. Later that night, fans caught pictures of Swift and Kelce driving around town in a convertible.

Image credits: prince_ahlee

On the next episode of the New Heights Podcast, Kelce started with a “shout out to Taylor for pulling up.”  While laughing at his brother’s joke that Swift had finally “put him on the map,“ Travis gushed with compliments about her.

So Travis has some New News …

NEW EPISODE PREMIERES NOW 👀

Tap in: https://t.co/uh6Z2ZSnQtpic.twitter.com/ZmGTRfmwKP

— New Heights (@newheightshow) September 27, 2023

In full fan garb, Taylor Swift also attended the October 12 game, wearing a stylishly oversized Kansas City Chiefs jacket.

Image credits: @taylorswift.updates13

The couple made a milestone public appearance in late October 2023 when they both appeared on Saturday Night Live. In the episode, Kelce made his second SNL appearance, delivering a sketch about the media coverage of his romance with Taylor Swift (via YouTube).

In late October, Swift attended her fourth Kansas City Chiefs game, wearing a Chiefs crewneck and shirt alongside a friendship bracelet inscribed with Kelce’s player number, 87. A post-game picture also showed her kissing him on the cheek.

Image credits: @chariah_

In November 2023, Kelce flew to Argentina to join Swift on her Eras tour, and fans spotted them out on the town. He also attended the November 11 show in Buenos Aires, where Swift changed the lyrics “Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me.” to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me.”

Fan videos captured Kelce’s shock as he stood in the VIP box with Taylor Swift’s dad.

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When ESPN shared a YouTube video of Swift braving sub-zero temperatures to attend the Chiefs’ match against the Miami Dolphins in January 2024, fans, for the first time, started to discuss a possible engagement.

What We Know So Far

With such a beautiful lead-up to their relationship, the burning question on the lips of Swifties and NFL fans is, “Is Taylor Swift engaged?“

As news began to spread in early 2024 that they were ready to take the next step in their relationship, jeweler Stephen Singer told Page Six that he was willing to gift the couple a custom-made $1 million diamond engagement ring.

People shut down the initial rumors with a January 2024 article in which a source claimed the stars were “having a lot of fun, but they’re still seeing where it goes.” However, in a heartfelt on-field moment after the Chiefs’ playoff win — where Kelce says, “I love you,” as Swift embraces him — they seem anything but casual.

 

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Swift also began wearing a ring with a miniature version of Kelce’s 87 jersey. According to Page Six’s sources at EB&Co, his mother, Donna Kelce, gifted the ring to her.

She also wore a stunning diamond tennis bracelet featuring the initials’ TNT.’ In a TikTok video, an employee from the bespoke jewelry company Wove shared that the football player had arranged for matching bracelets for himself and Swift. The employee further clarified that the initials represent “Taylor ‘n’ Travis.”

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Swift’s romance with Kelce also seemed to be taking a lasting turn as they finally went Instagram-official in a picture with Prince William and two British royal children.

Image credits: @taylorswift

While it wasn’t unusual for Kelce to fly to Paris to attend Swift’s last Paris show alongside Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper (via X), they reached a significant relationship milestone when she brought him up on stage at the London show in June 2024. Kelce carried Swift during the intro to “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,“further cementing their relationship.

TRAVIS KELCE ON STAGE FOR ICDIWABH OH MY GOD #LondonTSTheErastour@taylornation13 AHHH pic.twitter.com/pdu7yyKaqL

— nat misses the eras tour🪩🫶🏼 (@kingofnatsheart) June 23, 2024

In June 2024, an insider source at Life and Style claimed that Swift had “met with a high-end jeweler“ and “narrowed down her picks for her bridal gown and two other designer dresses she wants to wear“ because she has her heart set on a summer wedding.“

The source explained that they had “agreed on a lavish outdoor ceremony and celebration at her place in Rhode Island…surrounded by family and close friends” with “talk of banning phones and having everyone sign NDAs to keep the day as private as possible.”

While the promised wedding did not happen over the summer, an insider at the Kelce family reported to Page Six again in August 2024 that an engagement would happen soon. However, Travis Kelce’s rep denied that there were any such plans.

In October 2024, Joe Aikman, a football analyst who was under fire for referring to Swift as “the missus, “ said on the Pardon My Take podcast that someone had reached out to inform him that the couple was engaged, so his gaffe might have broke the story. E! News later debunked the story, clarifying that Swift and Kelce were not engaged.

On December 21, Swift showed up to the Chiefs game wearing a ‘Toi et Moi“ ring with a diamond halo. The ring’s name translates to “me and you“ in French, so the piece was undoubtedly a reference to her boyfriend.

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In January 2025, Swift was also spotted with an infinity ring, a possible reference to her relationship (via X).

There were speculations that Kelce would try proposing to Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl LIX. The Teen Vogue resident astrologer even consulted the cosmos on the issue. However, when a reporter asked him directly during a press conference, he smiled coyly and gave the cryptic response, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Social Media Buzz Surrounding the Rumors

Fans buzz over Swift’s recent jewelry, sparking theories about its significance. One fan on X speculated that her infinity ring might be a “pre-engagement ring,” symbolizing her and Kelce’s devotion, while a more skeptical fan countered, “Her ex allegedly gifted her an infinity bracelet that she wore all the time, and they weren’t engaged, so … it’s just jewelry until she says otherwise!”

Meanwhile, when Kelce congratulated fellow NFL star Josh Allen on Instagram for his engagement to Hailee Steinfeld, fans immediately flooded the comments with pressure-filled nudges. Messages like “You’re next,” “Alright, Travis, time to put a ring on it!” and “Hailee set the bar high — don’t keep Taylor waiting!” dominated the replies, making it clear that Swifties are eager for the next big step.

What Experts and Insiders Are Saying

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith predicted that Taylor Smith and Travis Kelce would get married in 2025. He claims it’s a wild guess and isn’t based on any insider information, but it’s the most concrete expert take we’ve received.

Image credits: Gettyimages / NBC

After all, Smith is speaking from thirty years of experience in pop culture — the “undeniable and iconic figure in the realm of sports and media,” according to the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, hosts of the TODAY show, also predicted on January 7 that the singer and athlete would get engaged in 2025.

Unlike Smith, the pair aren’t making a wild guess. Kotb and Hager believe all the signs of a potential engagement are there: “They [Swift and Kelce] wear matching clothes. We saw them at the US Open, and we know their families have been together because we’ve seen it in [NFL game] boxes and over the holidays.”

According to Yahoo! Entertainment, they accurately predicted the engagement of Zendaya and Tom Holland, as well as Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco. Swift and Kelce might likely be their third bull’s eye.

A note of caution, though — these aren’t the first TV personalities to predict Swift and Kelce’s engagement. In November 2023, Hilarie Burton Morgan said, “They are gonna have the most flannel lined, pie and red ribbon kinda Christmas….and then these babies are gonna be engaged by May [2024].”

They are gonna have the most flannel lined, pie and red ribbon kinda Christmas….and then these babies are gonna be engaged by May. https://t.co/e01on1aLJs

— Hilarie Burton Morgan (@HilarieBurton) November 12, 2023

Burton may have been wrong in 2024, but recent experts give us strong reasons to expect Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to get engaged in 2025.

Are We Closer to the Announcement?

Taylor Swift wrapped up her tours in December 2024, while Travis Kelce ended the football season with the Super Bowl 2025 in February.

Image credits: Gettyimages / Kansas City Star

The couple has a long vacation ahead of them, and sources have offered Us Weekly conflicting reports on how they intend to spend it, most of which suggest an engagement.

One report says they intend to lay low in Kansas City, while another source suggests more exotic plans involving “multiple places in Europe and somewhere tropical.“ The stars’ lives are becoming more firmly intertwined, so we are undoubtedly closer to an engagement. All sources agree that both stars are on the same page as regards the next step, and “those close to them think [Travis might pop the question] while they’re on vacation.”

In the latest news, the pair were photographed grabbing dinner in Park City, Utah. This was their first public appearance since the Chiefs’ crushing Super Bowl loss on February 10, 2025.

 

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