Vice President JD Vance once voiced concerns that the NFL might tip the scales in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs following Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement. That worry, it turns out, was entirely misplaced.
Vance, a Cincinnati Bengals fan from Middletown, Ohio, shared his apprehension in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports in August 2025. He hoped the league wouldn’t show favoritism toward the Chiefs after Kelce’s high-profile engagement to Swift.
“I will say as a football fan, as a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I hope the NFL does not put a thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs just because Travis Kelce is now getting married to maybe the most famous woman in the world,” Vance said at the time. “You guys can’t sort of have this. I’m worried they’re going to have a Super Bowl wedding thing this season. Can’t do it. The Kansas City Chiefs have to follow the same rules as everybody else.”
He added, “So if we see the refs being particularly friendly to Kansas City Chiefs players, then I think all football fans should be willing to push back on the NFL and say, look, you guys got to be fair. Just because Travis is getting married to Taylor, you still can’t put your thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Vance’s comments fueled conspiracy theories among NFL fans who suspected the league had been biased toward the Chiefs after their back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
But reality painted a different picture. In the months following Vance’s remarks, the Chiefs stumbled through a nightmare season. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, and the team finished 6-11, third in the AFC West, missing the playoffs entirely. The season was a clear testament that the NFL wasn’t giving the Chiefs any special treatment.
As for Kelce and Swift, they are expected to marry on Friday, July 3, in New York City. The wedding comes just weeks before Kelce and the Chiefs kick off training camp for the 2026 season—a season that should finally put all conspiracy theories to rest.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
