Global music icon Taylor Swift displayed a moment of relatable anxiety while watching her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, play on Christmas Day. Swift was captured on camera gnawing on her nails in the tense final minutes as the Kansas City Chiefs fell to a 20-13 defeat against the Denver Broncos.
A Superstar's Nervous Habit
Footage posted to social media platform X showed Swift at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, where she attended the game with her parents, Scott and Andrea. Dressed in a festive red bomber jacket with a black top and trousers, and clutching a brown Louis Vuitton purse, the singer was seen heaving a tense sigh before chewing on her red manicure as the game slipped away.
This is not the first time Swift's nail-biting has been noted during high-pressure Chiefs games. The habit was also famously captured during the close competition at Super Bowl 58 in February 2024. Swift has previously acknowledged the nervous tendency in her own writing. In her 2017 poem 'If You’re Anything Like Me', featured in the Target-exclusive *reputation* magazines, she wrote lines including: "If you're anything like me/ You bite your nails / And laugh when you're nervous... / But darling, you need to stop."
Support Through a Tough Season
Swift has been a regular fixture at Kelce's games since their relationship began in the summer of 2023. The couple announced their engagement on August 26 this year, though the proposal itself occurred two weeks earlier at Kelce's Missouri home, as confirmed by his father, Ed Kelce.
The Christmas Day loss was part of a difficult period for the Chiefs, who were officially eliminated from NFL playoff contention following a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on December 18. This marked the end of their run of Super Bowl appearances dating back to the 2014 season. They also suffered a heavy 9-26 defeat to the Tennessee Titans on December 21.
After the Christmas game, Kelce expressed mixed emotions, calling the loss "tough" but praising the fans' energy, which he said he would "cherish that moment forever." The team's final game of the season is scheduled for January 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Retirement Question Looms
As Swift and Kelce plan their wedding, a significant question hangs over the NFL star's future. Ahead of the Christmas Day game, Kelce addressed the possibility of retirement in an interview with fellow Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez.
"I think I'm still searching for those answers," Kelce confessed. "Obviously the way this one ended with a sour taste in my mouth... I feel motivated but I've got to make the right decision for myself." The three-time Super Bowl winner did not rule out a return, stating, "I still have a lot of love for this game. If I came back, it would be just to answer that flame in my heart for this thing." He added that the physical toll beyond game days is a factor, noting, "If it was just Sundays, I think I could play until I'm 50 but obviously there is so much that goes into it."
For now, fans have seen a very human side to the global superstar, as Taylor Swift's nervous nail-biting proves that even the most famous among us feel the pressure when supporting a loved one.
