Travis Kelce Reveals Inspiration Behind His Stylish Red Suit at Kansas City Chiefs Ring Ceremony

Travis Kelce was in his red era on Thursday. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end made a stylish appearance at the team’s Super Bowl LVIII ring ceremony on Thursday, where he reunited with teammates including Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. 

Kelce wore an eye-catching cherry red corduroy suit over a white tank for the occasion at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of the Art in Kansas City, Missouri, accessorizing with a blinged-out necklace bearing his initials, gold-rimmed sunglasses, and white sneakers. 

Fans of Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, were quick to praise the look, with some dubbing it “Red (Travis’ Version)” in a cheeky nod to the 34-year-old singer’s hit album. Travis, however, revealed that the ensemble’s actual inspiration was a bit more on-the-nose.

The 34-year-old athlete skipped the red carpet, but did greet teammate Bryan Cook as the latter was being interviewed by a local news outlet. 

“I gotta get inside before I start sweating,” he told Cook. 

Kelce was then asked to share what inspired his latest look, answering, “You already know — Chiefs Kingdom, baby.” 

The Kansas City Chiefs team colors are red and gold. For her part, Swift previously paid tribute by wearing those colors during her 87th Eras Tour show in Paris, France, as a subtle nod to her NFL star boyfriend‘s jersey number. 

Once inside the event, 34-year-old Kelce sat with the 28-year-old quarterback and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, as the teammates officially slipped on their third Super Bowl rings. 

Brittany shared a few sneak peeks from their table, including one epic Funko trinket that bore a hilariously striking resemblance to Kelce. She also offered a glimpse at the trio of rings on her husband’s fingers. 

The Chiefs clinched their third Super Bowl win in five years — including back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024 — when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Swift was among those in the crowd cheering for the team, though she was not in attendance for Thursday’s ring ceremony as she was busy performing her 100th Eras Tour show in Liverpool, England. 

Since their most recent win, several team members — including Kelce — have made clear their intent to become the first team in history to score three consecutive Super Bowls in the upcoming season. 

Ring maker Jostens shared an up-close look at the dazzling new bauble, which features 16 rubies (representing 16 outright division championship titles), four football-shaped diamonds (for the franchise’s four total Super Bowl championships) and 28 diamonds (for holding every opponent under 28 points), to name just a few details. Each customized ring, set in 18-carat white and yellow gold, also includes the player’s name and jersey number. 

Notably, this year’s ring is the first to open with a hidden hinge revealing confetti inside along with a graphic of their winning “Tom and Jerry” play in overtime, written in Reid’s handwritten. See all the details in the video below. 

Kelce recently signed a two-year contract extension with the Chiefs. The $34.25 million deal — which includes $17 million fully guaranteed this year — makes him the highest-paid tight end in the league.

Amid his current offseason, Kelce has been busy with a full slate of side hustles, including hosting Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and testing his acting chops in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie. He’s also thrown his hat in the ring for consideration as Adam Sandler firms up plans for Netflix’s upcoming Happy Gilmore 2 — though no formal casting has been announced. 

As part of his budding Hollywood career, Travis also recently produced the movie My Dead Friend Zoe — starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman — and previously took a turn hosting Saturday Night Live in 2023. 

On this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce mentioned his post-football aspirations. 

“I want to broadcast when I’m done playing,” he told his brother and co-host, Philadelphia Eagles alum Jason Kelce. 

For his part, Jason — who famously lost his own Super Bowl ring earlier this year — recently signed on to serve as a sportscaster for ESPN’s Monday Night Football after announcing his NFL retirement.

RELATED CONTENT: