Travis Kelce is opening up about when he thinks it’s the right time to take the “next step” in a relationship, amidst growing speculation that he and girlfriend Taylor Swift may be on the verge of an engagement. The Kansas City Chiefs star, 35, shared his thoughts during a special bonus episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast on Thursday.
When asked about progressing in a relationship, Travis explained that it’s all about truly understanding someone’s life.
“I feel like [it’s] when you know someone’s life,” he said. “When you see someone’s day-to-day and you can understand that, and you get into a routine of being with that person or talking to that person about their daily routines consistently. You naturally just feel the genuine connection.” For Travis, it’s that day-to-day familiarity and routine that signals a deeper bond—a connection that eventually leads to the desire to take things further.
Travis emphasized that the decision to take the next step in a relationship shouldn’t be rushed, but should happen “naturally.” The feeling to “get to that next step faster,” he said, should emerge organically when both partners are in sync and ready.
Family involvement is also a significant factor for Travis. He mentioned that introducing a partner to family is “huge” when it comes to deepening the relationship. Travis and Taylor seem to have embraced this step early on in their romance, as the pop superstar was seen sitting beside his mom, Donna Kelce, at her first Chiefs game in September 2023—just months after they began secretly dating.
Since then, their families have become quite involved, with Taylor’s parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, also showing support for Travis at major events, including the Super Bowl in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Taylor’s father, Scott, 72, even spoke about his approval of Travis during a recent flight. According to a fellow passenger, Scott gushed about the NFL star, saying, “Out of all of [Taylor’s] boyfriends in the last 12 years, Travis has made the biggest impact.” The passenger shared the story in a TikTok video, adding more fuel to the speculation surrounding the couple.
While Travis was candid about the progression of relationships, his older brother Jason Kelce also chimed in with his own thoughts on the matter. Jason, who is married with three children, offered his take on the importance of “moving in” together as a key step before engagement.
“You’ve got to make that decision, especially if you’ve got roommates,” Jason, 36, explained. “You’ll know, if you want to do it, you’ll do it. That’s how you know. And then if she wants to do it, then you both end up doing it. Not in that way, but moving in way.”
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Currently, Travis and Taylor do not live together, but they do spend a lot of time at each other’s homes. Taylor has been spotted at Travis’s $6 million mansion in Kansas City, Missouri, whenever she is on break from her Eras Tour. Likewise, Travis has been seen staying over at Taylor’s New York City apartment during his visits.
Jason went on to discuss the final steps before deciding to settle down with someone, highlighting the importance of having “more serious conversations” about values, beliefs, and future plans.
“You start thinking about the stuff, and the more you line up, the more you just keep kind of rolling. Or you say, ‘I don’t want to deal with that stuff,’ and go find another person,” Jason added, sharing the wisdom of his own experience with his wife, Kylie Kelce, whom he married in 2018.
Travis agreed with his brother’s sentiment and humorously summed it up by saying, “That’s the love train. You either jump on or jump off.”
The topic of an engagement between Travis and Taylor has been heating up recently, with many wondering if the couple has already taken that leap of faith. Earlier this month, former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman shared on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that he’d heard rumors suggesting the couple might be engaged.
Further adding to the speculation, a source previously revealed that the wife of a top Chiefs executive was overheard mentioning at a Morgan Wallen concert that Travis and Taylor were already engaged. However, it’s still unclear whether the comment was based on genuine knowledge or simply echoing the online rumors.
Travis’s representative was quick to deny any engagement rumors at the time, but fans continue to wonder if a big announcement might be on the horizon for the pair.
Either way, Travis’s openness about relationships has only added to the intrigue, giving fans a glimpse of what he values in a partner and what could come next for him and Taylor Swift.
