Eli Manning has given Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce his stamp of approval.
In an interview with People on 9 November, the former New York Giants quarterback shed some light on NFL bye weeks - and why he supports the Kansas City Chiefs tight end visiting Taylor Swift as she kicks off the international leg of her Eras Tour.
“I think the bye week is a great time to get away from football and I think that’s the idea,” the 42-year-old football legend told the outlet on Thursday. “It is the time to rest the body, rest the mind a little bit, recharge yourself to get ready for that second half of the season.”
According to NFL rules, all 32 teams each get one bye week per season - in which they don’t play for one full week near the middle of the season. For Kelce, his team just so happens to be taking their bye week during week 10. The next Chiefs game takes place on 20 November, in which Kelce will face off against his older brother, Philadelphia Eagles centre Jason Kelce, for the first time since the 2023 Super Bowl.
“It’s a time to get away from football. It’s a long season,” Manning added, noting that players should “rest the body” and “rest the mind” during their bye week. The father of four explained that bye weeks are “obviously not a time to go party and celebrate” but admitted that there was nothing “wrong” with Kelce reportedly travelling to Argentina with Swift.
“I think for him to travel, there’s nothing wrong with travelling, going somewhere,” Manning shared. “Hey, if he wants to go and support his girlfriend and see her play a concert, I’ve got no problem with that.”
Earlier this week, it was reported that the 34-year-old football star will be making his way to Argentina to support his rumoured girlfriend as she begins the South America leg of her Eras Tour. The “Shake It Off” singer is set to perform at Estadio River Plate arena in Buenos Aires on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of November.
A source close to the rumoured couple told NBC News on 8 November that Kelce is travelling to Argentina for the concert. Another source shared the alleged travel plans with Page Six, claiming that he “has to be back on Sunday” in the US since he has football “practice on Monday”.
The Kelce brothers seemed to fuel rumours that Travis will be heading to Argentina in the latest episode of their joint podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. “Got anything you’re looking forward to going to?” Jason, 36, asked his brother about his bye week plans.
Travis replied: “Not really. I might just say f*** it and just go somewhere nice, I don’t know. My skin’s getting real pale so I gotta go somewhere sunny.”
When Jason jokingly asked his brother if he would be headed south, Travis said: “Closer to the equator.”
Swift and Kelce have continued to fuel romance rumours ever since the Grammy winner attended his game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on 24 September. She was seen cheering on for the tight end in his family’s suite, sitting next to Kelce’s mother, Donna, and yelling “let’s f***ing go” in response to Kelce’s third-quarter touchdown reception. After the game, the rumoured couple were filmed leaving the stadium together.
She’s since appeared at three of Kelce’s football games, even with her entourage of A-list celebrity friends in tow. In October, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Sophie Turner, and Sabrina Carpenter were all seen with Swift during Kelce’s game at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets.
The rumoured couple seemed to confirm their romance last month, when Swift was pictured kissing Kelce’s cheek during a post-game celebration with Kelce’s teammates.
