Patrick Mahomes, it seems, is no longer the face of the National Football League. That title belongs to … Taylor Swift.
Nowhere is that absurd phenomenon more evident than in the latest league promo that features the pop star five separate times while the Chiefs quarterback barely gets any screen time at all.
At least Mahomes makes an appearance. At the very end.
Other high-profile players such as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his San Francisco 49ers counterpart don’t even get the courtesy of a single clip.
Purdy led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance last season.
Looking for NFL Rookie of the Year, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud? Or other high-profile players like Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford or Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love? You’re out of luck.
Swift’s five appearances in a 30-second clip (for the math challenged that’s once every six seconds) certainly caught the attention of football fans. And not in a good way.
Fans Not Thrilled With NFL Taylor Swift Promo
If you were hoping the Taylor Swift hype was going to die down this season, the NFL quickly put that notion to rest with a new promo released on X Monday.
“Football is back this week!” they proudly announced.
In the first second of the video – the first second! – Swift can be seen cheering on her man, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The promo takes fans on a month-by-month journey throughout last season and, before you know it, Swift makes a second appearance for September at the seven-second mark.
And of course, we get to relive her on-field kiss with Kelce after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
Fans weren’t exactly enamored with the league’s continued focus on the pop princess.
“STOP SHOWING TAYLOR SWIFT WE DON’T CARE,” reads one viral response.
“We WERE excited.. but then showing someone’s gf 5x makes us all cringe,” another chimed in.
Yet another fan asked, “Is this about your product or Taylor Swift?”
RELATED: Commissioner Roger Goodell Admits the NFL Is Benefitting From The ‘Taylor Swift Effect’
The Taylor Swift Effect
To be honest, it’s not about the product. The NFL is solely focused on drawing in female viewers through a highly choreographed romance that makes them money.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted as much last season.
Speaking at a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII, Goodell mentioned that having the “Taylor Swift effect” is a good thing for the NFL.
He praised Swift’s ability to draw in a new audience, particularly young women, and create a buzz around the games.
“Having the Taylor Swift effect is also a positive,” he said. “Listen, both Travis and Taylor are wonderful young people. They seem very happy.”
“She knows great entertainment, and I think that’s why I think she loves NFL football.”
Do you know who also once shifted their focus from sports to entertainment and even dubbed the phrase ‘sports entertainment’? The WWE.
Even they don’t seem as scripted as today’s NFL with their Taylor Swift promos.
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