Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice shared a sweet confession regarding his pal Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift.
While appearing on Fubo Sports’ Airing It Out podcast, the 23-year-old NFL star hinted that out of respect for his friend and the 12-time Grammy winner, he would never ask her for a photo.
“I’ve seen her,” he said when asked if he had met Swift, “but I didn’t go up to her like, ‘Can I get a picture?’ or nothing like that.”
Rice went on, explaining that while Kelce and Swift have assumed public identities, on and off the field, Kelce is just his teammate and friend.
“You know, those guys like Trav and Pat[rick Mahomes] they invite us out because they know that we are the only guys that see them every day and know and see them for who they really are not just like, ‘Bro you’re a superstar football player!’” he shared. “It’s just Pat and it’s just Trav.”
The rookie also added that celebrity status aside, he “wouldn’t go up to another dude’s girl” to ask for a photo–at least not without his own girlfriend by his side.
“Maybe if my girl was there I would be like, ‘Can we get a picture with the girls together?’ or something,” he said, suggesting it would be much less weird and a little more appropriate to ask for a couples photo featuring all four of them
While Rice is undoubtably “happy for Trav,” he’s also extremely grateful for the increased exposure Swift has brought to the league.
“She brought a lot more fans to the team too,” he said.
Rice isn’t the only player thanking the “Don’t Blame Me” songstress for enticing more people to follow the sport, NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez shared a similar sentiment while appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this month.
“I think it’s great that Taylor’s done this for the NFL. She’s brought a whole new audience, it’s been great,” Gonzalez shared at the time.
Mahomes also confirmed the frenzy hasn’t caused a “distraction” and even the NFL has played into it, suggesting Kelce and Swift’s relationship could be enough to score a touchdown with a larger and more diverse fan base than ever before.
