The most recent issue of GQ made a bold declaration on its cover: that Travis Kelce is America’s sweetheart.
It’s certainly a new title for the football player/TV presenter/Mr. Swift to put on his shelf alongside his Super Bowl rings. Photographed in the middle of the everglades with some couture courtesy of stylist Law Roach, Kelce is certainly enjoying the spotlight. The accompanying article delves into his training regime, his focus on preparing for life after sport, and what it’s like being one half of one of the most obsessed-over power couples on the planet.
But does this make him America’s sweetheart?
Presenting GQ’s September cover star, Travis KelceHow does one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history spend his summer vacation? Gearing up to come back from a grueling Super Bowl loss stronger than ever https://t.co/7dyYndHrrj pic.twitter.com/X4Q0K7L8yl
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) August 12, 2025
That’s a title we typically see reserved for women, usually those peppy and wholesome rom-com leading ladies whose smile can light up a room and who Hugh Grant would fall in love with. Think Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, or Meg Ryan. The rules aren’t all that different for a man seeking the sweetheart crown. They need to be hearty, loveable, charming, and dedicated to their community and family.
Kelce certainly ticks all of those boxes. He’s a hugely talented athlete who has come to exemplify America’s biggest sport; his brother, sister-in-law, and parents are always around him and have become stars in their own right; and he’s up for a joke, as evidenced by his guest-hosting of Saturday Night Live.
Even if he weren’t dating Taylor Swift, he would be a solid candidate for a specific kind of celebrity: the one who everyone can like and who is seen as a good representation for the motherland. That he is on the arm of one of the most wildly famous people of this century does elevate him to a new level of fame branding.
Whether or not Kelce is America’s sweetheart feels secondary to the more interesting fact that he is an extremely ambitious man who is working overtime to make himself into a very big deal. Long before non-Americans had to learn who Taylor’s boyfriend was, he was laying the groundwork to be a celebrity outside of sports.
Kelce has been candid about wanting to build the foundation for his future when he eventually retires from football. (He’s now 35 years old in a sport where the average retirement age is reportedly 27.6 years.) By his own admission, he thinks about retiring constantly.
Most athletes do, especially in football, where a shocking number of former NFL players go bankrupt after the games stop. People like Michael Strahan and Terry Crews, who have forged successful media careers post-retirement, are rare. You can hardly blame Kelce for not wanting to be another statistic in his field. So, he’s hustled hard.
A 2024 piece from The New York Times detailed how Kelce’s management had helped to make him a star off the field through savvy TV deals, brand opportunities, and various side-hustles. Nowadays, you can see him hosting Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity, doing podcasts with his brother as part of a $100 million deal, shilling his clothing brand, and starring in Ryan Murphy shows.
Remember, this dude had his own Bachelor-esque dating show! It’s extended to his family too. Even Mama Kelce has representation. The Kelce brand has grown mighty thanks to their close-knit haleness and all-American ambition.
It’s what makes him such a good match for Swift, a woman who has been in many high-profile relationships but never one that could constitute being a power couple. Kelce’s her first boyfriend who is also at the top of his field who is happy to pair up and maximize their joint clout. They’re both proudly ambitious and never satisfied with it.
Together, they’ve combined forces to incredible financial and cultural impact. Because of Swift’s mere presence at NFL games, the Kansas City Chiefs franchise had gained $331.4 million in value via drastic increases in merchandise and ticket sales, as well as viewership numbers, according to Fortune.
She launched her next studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on his podcast, and the same week the GQ cover dropped. That’s the kind of power couple synergy that only comes from a pair who know what they’re doing, and who are happy to tie themselves together even further. It’s no wonder the pair are the subject of secret marriage rumors every week.
Some skeptics have accused them of being a fake couple set up to mutually boost their public images (as if either of them needed it?) But it is undeniable that they are good at PR and know how to make a great story. That doesn’t mean their romance is a lie. It’s just a sign that being a celebrity is hard, and watching two people who are extremely good at it is a rare thing.
Kelce wants to keep playing and win a third Super Bowl with the Chiefs. But if his football career were to end tomorrow, he’d be set for a strong long-term career in entertainment. He’s savvily molded himself into a likeable public figure who can easily slot into a number of roles and appeal to audiences across generational and cultural barriers. You could easily imagine him, like Strahan, hosting a morning show or, like Crews, doing a sitcom. He’ll have brand deals, merchandise, perhaps a spot in Adam Sandler’s inner circle of endless movie cameos.
It’s unlikely that Kelce wants to bear the stifling weight of being the face of a nation in the way that an American sweetheart represents, especially at this moment in time, but he is extremely well equipped to be a mega-star who enjoys the spotlight and has fun with it. (Just look at that GQ photoshoot, where he’s lugging a designer handbag around a swamp while dressed like an out-of-season mountain man.)
It’s also just intriguing to see how far he and Swift will go as a joint unit of A-List force. We could certainly do worse for the title of America’s sweetheart than Kelce. At least this one was a solid SNL host.
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