Travis Kelce’s Christmas hopes in 2023 fell apart with Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium, as this season’s Kansas City Chiefs’ holiday game against the Broncos won’t lead to Super Bowl chances
Travis Kelce broke his 1,000-yard season receiving streak on Christmas Day in front of Taylor Swift(Image: Paragon Jackets)
The 2023 NFL season ultimately ended with confetti falling for the Kansas City Chiefs, but one Christmas Day moment stung for Travis Kelce before the team’s Super Bowl parade.
With Taylor Swift watching from the stands, Kelce had a chance to extend his streak of 1,000 receiving yard seasons to eight. New England Patriots surefire Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski never achieved more than back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, just like six-time All-Pro and (Pro Football Focus) current No. 1-ranked TE George Kittle, who achieved the feat twice.
Kansas City entered Christmas Day in 2023 riding momentum and facing a Las Vegas Raiders team it had beaten 31-17 just four weeks earlier. Kelce needed 76 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season to extend his own NFL record.
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Swift was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium and bundled up in a Christmas hat, wearing Kelce’s No. 87 jersey, as cameras followed her every move. But Kelce finished the night with just 44 receiving yards and failed to score a touchdown as the Chiefs stumbled to a 20-14 loss.
The defeat marked Kansas City’s third loss in four games and snapped the illusion that December dominance was guaranteed.
Despite the stumble, the Chiefs closed the regular season 11-6, captured the AFC West, and went on a postseason tear that included wins over the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens, as well as a 25-22 overtime victory against the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Kelce’s 2023 campaign ended with 823 receiving yards, the third-lowest total of his career outside his injury-shortened rookie season. This year has followed a similar pattern, with Kelce sitting at 803 yards through 15 games.
Kelce and Swift spent Christmas 2023 celebrating together at the tight end’s newly purchased $6 million mansion in Kansas City. Fast forward to now, and their picture-perfect success has shifted.
Travis Kelce hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2022
The Chiefs have missed the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era with a 6-9 record and two games remaining against the Broncos on Christmas Day and the Raiders.
Kansas City has lost five of its last six games and enters the final stretch without Mahomes, who underwent season-ending ACL surgery after a Week 15 loss to the Chargers.
Kelce has always embraced holiday football. “I absolutely love it, man. It’s magical,” he said in 2023. “What better way to enjoy Christmas Day than some football at Arrowhead?”
The Chiefs have even pushed to become a permanent fixture on Christmas Day in the NFL. Their NFL future will continue away from Arrowhead and Kansas City once the Chiefs complete a move to a newly constructed dome stadium in Kansas, beginning in 2031.
