Comedian Keegan-Michael Key compared Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to exes Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo during his NFL Honors opening monologue.
“Of course, we’re going to talk about Travis and Taylor. I think they’re both great, and I’m happy for them,” the comedian said onstage at Thursday’s ceremony highlighting the league’s best players and performances.
“But, you know, Travis Kelce isn’t the first NFL player to have a relationship with a pop star,” Key continued.
“There’s Russ [Russell Wilson] and Ciara. There was Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson. And of course, Peyton Manning and Brad Paisley,” he quipped.
The fashion mogul and the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, both 43, were first romantically linked in November 2007 and dated for two years before calling it quits.
Simpson was “not a fan favorite” during their relationship and was even blamed by Romo’s teammates for his poor performance on the field.
A New York Times article published in March 2009 also claimed that the singer and the media attention surrounding the romance “hurt and took away” from the athlete’s chances of “being a great quarterback.”
Romo reportedly broke up with Simpson the day before her 29th birthday, which she later revealed was because she was still in contact with her ex-boyfriend John Mayer.
The retired quarterback recently reflected on the scrutiny he faced during their high-profile relationship, while expressing his support for Swift and Kelce.
“The passion of this sport and seeing him go out and do what he loves and be great at it is a joyful thing. The same way that he’s going to watch her,” Romo told reporters this week.
“I think that in a perfect world, they wouldn’t have all of the media attention around it, but the truth is, they’re just too dominant at what they do. They’re both special people.”
He continued, “I love their hearts. I think they’re both incredible human beings who are super genuine, treat people the same no matter what walk of life you’re in, and you root for people like that. … I think they’re two really unique, special people.”
Swift’s presence at Kansas City Chiefs games this season was met with backlash from “a few dads, Brads and Chads” due her screen time during NFL broadcasts.
The “Lover” songstress recently responded to the criticism in her Time Person of the Year interview, saying that she has “no idea” when the cameras are on her and doesn’t know if she’s “being shown 17 times or once.”
The 14-time Grammy winner insisted that she’s “just there to support Travis” and his team.
Meanwhile, Swift may garner more attention on Sunday when she attends Super Bowl 2024 to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Page Six confirmed the “Cruel Summer” hitmaker would be attending the biggest sporting event of the year despite performing in Tokyo for her Eras Tour the day before.
