Why Travis Kelce Wasn't With Taylor Swift at the 2024 Golden Globes

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were merely 13 miles apart on Sunday. And even though he was ruled inactive for his final game of the regular season, it's easy to see why he wasn't beside the Midnights singer at the 81st Golden Globe Awards.

The "Anti-Hero" singer and NFL star were both in Los Angeles, but it was for work, not pleasure. Well, maybe some pleasure for Swift, who attended the awards show at the Beverly Hilton. Her Taylor Swift / The Eras Tour Film was nominated in the first-time category of Cinematic and Box Office Achievement alongside fellow 2023 smash hits Barbie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, John Wick: Chapter 4, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Super Mario Bros. Movie -- but ultimately lost out to Barbie.

Meanwhile, over at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Kelce watched from the sidelines as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 13-12 in the final game of the regular season. That game started just before the red carpet kicked off across town, but Kelce wasn't the only one who was ruled out of the game with no playoff implications on the line. Starters like Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney, L'Jarius Sneed, Mike Danna and Donovan Smith were also ruled inactive.

Why? Primarily to keep them healthy and not risk injury as they head into next weekend's playoffs. There was also no point in the Chiefs playing their star players, given that the Chiefs are 100 percent locked in with the No. 3 playoff seed in the AFC. Meaning that, win or lose against the Chargers, the Chiefs would not have bettered or worsened their playoff position.

The only minor downside to sitting Kelce? The tight end was just 16 yards shy of achieving another 1,000-yard season that would have marked his eighth straight season accomplishing such an impressive feat. CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala pointed out that "no tight end has ever approached that and only six pass catchers in NFL history have had at least eight consecutive such seasons."

For Swifties new to the National Football League (NFL), that's a big deal.

In any event, the budding romance will have something to celebrate, despite Swift losing out on her first golden Globe. The couple has been inseparable since going public with their romance just a few months ago. Just recently, a source told ET that the "Karma" singer and the NFL star are "closer than ever before and everyone around them can see that they’re an amazing match."

"They love being together no matter what they’re doing and appreciate the little things in life. They try to lead as normal lives as possible as a couple and are enjoying the upswing and growth in their relationship. They believe that timing is everything and that this is their time," the source said. 

"Their families are both on board and everyone on Travis’ side loves Taylor and vice versa. It’s a supportive dynamic all around," the source added. "Their loved ones have never seen either of them so happy and hope and believe that it will continue." 

The 2024 Golden Globes hosted by Jo Koy is on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+. Check out ETonline.com for complete Golden Globes coverage and the full list of winners.

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