The Week 3 matchup between the Chiefs and Bears will go down as one of those moments. Not only because the 41–10 victory by Kansas City signified Chicago entering official crisis mode, but also due to the fact that the Sunday afternoon game at Arrowhead Stadium inked a connection between the NFL world and the world (universe, galaxy, whatever is bigger than a galaxy, I should say) of Taylor Swift.
The Chiefs are familiar with passionate fan bases. Not only do they boast one of their own, obviously, but they also have some recent history with their Super Bowl LVII opponents, the Eagles. For the Swifties reading, yes, the same Eagles that Travis Kelce’s brother, Jason, has been an anchor of for 13 (coincidence?) years. So more specifically, the Kelce family knows a thing or two about wild fan bases. Now, it doesn’t make sense to try to compare fandoms. For one, it doesn’t matter. If we’re being honest—the most powerful of them all is not one or the other, but rather, the growing overlap. Myself included. Second, knowing how Swifties operate, anyone who wasn’t already a football fan is about to show some serious dedication to learning about it. We’re talking about the same fandom that has been dutifully keeping up with CD booklets, music videos, Instagram posts, speeches and more for years in the off chance of catching a clue (Easter eggs, they’re known as) about something upcoming from Swift. And seriously, for those who weren’t there—these fan theories can be about anything, from a clue as obvious as word puzzles on Google (fans quickly broke the site) or as obscure as an Instagram post that features a fence with a certain number of holes in it. But I digress.
Having Swift make an appearance at an NFL game is a masterclass in marketing from the league. (Emma Baccellieri did come up with a dream Swift Super Bowl halftime set list, even though Usher took the gig.) There are, of course, plenty of her fans who already watch and follow and care about the NFL. But there are also a lot who don’t, and they will now. At least for the time being. It’s the same way that fantasy football brings in the more casual fan, giving them something tangible to be invested in within the league.
So, as The MMQB’s resident Swiftie (credentials: I went to the Tour for my 10th birthday, “You Are In Love” was my top song of the year on Spotify, I can a capella “Cold As You,” etc.), I’m here to welcome this infiltration of the NFL with a list of the 50 best Taylor Swift–themed fantasy football team names. There are 15 no-brainers made with her popular and obvious songs, 15 thinkers with short explanations as needed and 15 deep cuts for the more niche references. And, of course, a few bonus ideas that may repeat player names or songs.
It may be too late for Swifties who are new to football to join a season-long fantasy league, but for the millions of fans who are already in on the action, now is a great time to rebrand (rerecord?) your team name.
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No-brainers: Hurts DifferentShake It GoffGetaway CarrDeath by a Thousand PuntsLove Story (Traylor’s Version)End Zone Gamecowboy like meKamara Is My BoyfriendYou Need a First DownJonathan Taylor’s VersionElectric TouchdownDak to DecemberDrake London BoyBurning Red ZoneBreece Hall Too Well
