Star player for the Atlanta Falcons Jessie Bates has nothing but “respect” for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, but when he takes the field on Sunday night to play the Kansas City Chiefs, that could all change.
In an interview with “The Pacman Jones Show: Politely Raw,” the Pro Bowl safety acknowledged that when he plays the 34-year-old tight end this weekend, he could blabber about their well-publicized romance.
Jessie Bates is already plotting his trash talk for Travis Kelce.
“I don’t listen to Taylor Swift much, but you have to respect her for what she has accomplished in her career, and you also have to have some level of respect for Travis,” Bates said to host Adam “Pacman” Jones.
The Atlanta Falcons star said he might use Kelce’s romance with Taylor Swift as a talking point on Sunday.Getty Images
“But once that clock ticks and we in between those lines you know I see red sometimes so I might say some crazy stuff to him,” he continued. “It may involve Taylor, it may not.”
However, the 27-year-old noted that it’s nothing personal and “talking a little smack” is “just part of the game.”
Swift, 34, has attended both of Kelce’s home games so far during the 2024-2025 NFL season. While it’s unclear if she is planning to attend the game in Atlanta, Bates said her potential presence has no impact on him.
“I don’t care who is watching,” he said on the BetOnline show. “The standard is the standard and that’s just what it is.”
“I might say some crazy stuff to him,” Bates said on “The Pacman Jones Show.” “It may involve Taylor, it may not.”
The Chiefs face off against the Falcons on Sunday night.
Bates isn’t the first — and likely not the last — one of Kelce’s opponents to bring up his relationship with the pop star before playing the Chiefs.
Earlier this month, Baltimore Ravens player Marlon Humphrey took aim at Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast ahead of their match-up, saying that Swift was the sole reason for its success.
“I pray for this — to go against him because, like, he’s tried to take everything from me,” Humphrey, 28, joked on an episode of his own podcast, “Punch Line.”
Humphrey’s team lost to the Chiefs during the AFC Championship in January 2024, crushing their Super Bowl hopes.
Despite the friendly trash talk, Bates insisted that he has nothing but “respect” for both Swift and Kelce.Getty Images
Speaking a little smack is “just part of the game,” according to Bates.Getty Photographs
In the same year, Kelce’s podcast debuted at the top of the charts and soon gained popularity among football podcasts.
The cornerback made a joke about Kelce “having to pay” for his behavior and implied that his friendship with Swift had a major role in landing him a $100 million contract with Amazon.
“To be honest, it’s not right,” he remarked cynically. “It doesn’t matter who he is seeing.”
Swift was present for the Ravens’ thrilling game versus the Missouri-based team, but despite the added motivation, the Ravens lost by a score.
