“CBS Mornings” host Gayle King stirred up some unexpected speculation on Thursday, suggesting that Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce might make an appearance at the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During a segment, King hinted at the possibility, despite the fact that Kelce had a preseason game scheduled for the same night. However, as it turned out, Kelce stayed on the sidelines at Arrowhead Stadium, supporting his team in their final preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears.
While reporting live from Chicago, King mentioned that she hadn’t confirmed rumors about high-profile performances by Beyoncé or Taylor Swift at the DNC. She then brought up why the Swift rumors were particularly intriguing to her, hinting at a possible connection between Swift and Kelce.
“I was told a couple of days ago that Travis Kelce also had reached out to the Harris campaign when it was first announced and said that he wanted to be here on the night that [Kamala] was speaking,” King said, adding a note of uncertainty with, “We’ll see if that is true.”
The conversation among her colleagues quickly shifted to the fact that Kelce had a game scheduled for the same evening. King acknowledged this, saying, “I know he has a game, but that doesn’t mean he’s playing.”
In reality, Kelce didn’t play in the Chiefs’ preseason finale—along with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and most of the other starters, he was rested for the game. However, he didn’t make the trip to Chicago for the DNC either, opting to remain with his team at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kelce’s preseason action was limited but notable. In two brief appearances alongside Mahomes and the starters, he caught two passes for 15 yards. One of these catches was particularly memorable, involving a behind-the-back pass from Mahomes—a play that the quarterback later revealed was improvised due to a miscommunication with Kelce on the route.
“I always told you it had to happen naturally,” Mahomes explained after their 24-23 loss to the Lions on August 17, according to the Associated Press. “I knew it was on target. It was just low. But like I said, it wasn’t like—I didn’t do it to look cool. I did it because I was pissed off [at Kelce], like why did you run that route like that? And it just worked out.”
Kelce’s offseason has been anything but quiet. From attending Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” shows and making an appearance at the Kentucky Derby to participating in the American Century Championship and landing a role in the upcoming “Happy Gilmore 2,” the 34-year-old has kept busy. As the NFL regular season approaches, Kelce and the Chiefs are gearing up for their Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5, where they’ll begin their quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Last season, Kelce racked up 984 receiving yards—the first time he failed to surpass 1,000 yards since 2015—along with five touchdowns. In the postseason, he added another 355 yards and three touchdowns in games against the Dolphins, Bills, Ravens, and 49ers, demonstrating his continued dominance as one of the league’s premier tight ends. As the new season looms, all eyes will be on Kelce and the Chiefs as they aim to make history once again.
