Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is known for his bold plays and unfiltered podcast moments. But his latest comments about the NFL’s upcoming international game in São Paulo, Brazil, are raising eyebrows.
On a recent episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce didn’t hold back when reacting to the NFL’s Week 1 schedule, which features the Chiefs vs. Chargers showdown taking place in Brazil.
“We’re definitely playing in Brazil,” Kelce confirmed. “I’ll be there playing football in the [expletive] heat.”
He didn’t stop there. Drawing from past experience, he compared it to playing in Jacksonville. An NFL city notorious for its September humidity:
“There’s just something about getting closer to the equator that I don’t want to put on a football uniform doing that,” Kelce said. “I’ve been in Jacksonville in September and that’s [expletive] miserable.”
“If it’s hot and humid, and kind of what I’m expecting, I’m going to be miserable.”
Travis: Regular Fans Sit In Scorching Stadiums
Here’s the controversy: while Kelce’s remarks might seem like typical athlete banter, fans in Brazil, many of whom are ecstatic about hosting only the second NFL regular-season game in their country, weren’t amused.
The matchup is historic. It marks a continued effort by the NFL to globalize the game, and it’s the first ever regular-season NFL match to stream for free on YouTube worldwide. Yet, instead of excitement, the headlines are dominated by a superstar calling it “miserable.”
While many American fans sympathized with Kelce’s concerns about heat and player safety, others argued that the tone came off as privileged, especially when football-loving countries rarely get to see these matchups live.
Still, Kelce insists that no matter how hot it gets, the focus remains the same:
“We’re going to find a way to get a win.”
But with the NFL expanding its global footprint, players like Kelce may need to strike a better balance between honesty and respect. For fans in Brazil, this is more than a game. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Is Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s Engagement Coming Soon? Fans Think So
While Kelce sweats the heat in Brazil, fans are heating up over a different kind of speculation: his rumored engagement to Taylor Swift.
At the Amazon Upfronts 2025 event in New York, Kelce turned heads with a sleek suit and a white Marni T-shirt. What got fans talking? The shirt’s centerpiece was a multi-tiered cake, which many Swifties interpreted as a wedding cake.
Though the design was part of Marni’s 30th anniversary collection, the internet immediately tied it to Kelce’s high-profile romance. The speculation hit overdrive after Kelce and Swift were seen enjoying a Mother’s Day dinner with his family in Philadelphia.
Despite the buzz, neither Swift nor Kelce has confirmed an engagement. However, insiders claim that Swift views Kelce as “The One,” although she prefers to take her time when it comes to tying the knot.
