Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Face First Real Relationship Test as Wedding Plans and Retirement Rumors Collide

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly facing their first major challenge as a couple as they navigate the retirement rumors surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs tight end while trying to plan their dream wedding.

Insiders told the Daily Mail that Kelce, 36, has been feeling “a bit defeated” after the Chiefs’ disappointing season, as speculation about his future in the NFL continues to swirl.

Sources added that Swift, 36, has been doing her best to lift her fiancé’s spirits as he weighs whether it’s time to step away from the game for good.

“Taylor is trying to put him in a better mood by spending more time with him and not bombarding him with wedding plans.

“She would want him to focus on [the wedding] after he makes his career decision because she knows how important that is to him," the insider claimed.

The "Lover" songstress is considering this difficult time as the couple's "first real test of their relationship," as per the source.

“They have been together and in love and have enjoyed the success of her tour and career and his Super Bowls and his career. Travis hasn’t been in this position before where he is staring at his future with complete 20/20 vision.

“He is used to still be playing, and he is missing not being on the field, which might bode well for his fans and the Chiefs if he decides to play another year.

“We will know a few weeks after the Super Bowl if he will be returning or not. That is his timeline that he has set to make a decision to play one more year or not,” the source said, adding that the football star will “make the Chiefs well aware of his future plans by early March.”

The insider added that Kelce is struggling with the idea of putting an end to a sport that has been his entire life.

“Things are changing; he is getting to the end of what he has known all his life and dealing with potential retirement, marriage and a future family with sprinkles of a whole new life in TV," the source told the outlet.

Swift, who got engaged to Kelce in August 2025, is putting her energy toward making him happy and is “focusing on positivity right now."

“But she wants him to be in a place where he is happy because at the end of the day, that will make them happy," the source said.

The reports come just days after Eli Manning shared his thoughts on the Kelce's retirement rumors amid reports that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Swift have put their wedding plans "on hold."

Manning, who retired in 2020, opened up to People about the furious speculation that Kelce, 36, is preparing to hang up his football jersey at the end of this season—after his team missed its shot at a spot in the NFL playoffs.

Kelce has been dogged by rumors that he will end his professional career since the start of the season but has thus far refused to confirm whether he plans to play for another year.

According to Manning, the Kansas City Chiefs star is likely going through a whirlwind of emotion ahead of his retirement, whenever that is, with the former quarterback admitting that he knows the feeling well.

“That's his decision, that only he can make, and only he knows what his desire and commitment towards it is," Manning said.

"And it's one of those deals as you get older, it's not like you can do less and get the same result. You gotta work twice as hard to get half the results—the injuries, the buildup, you're getting slower, the fast-twitch motions.

“I think as [Kelce] thinks over these next few weeks or months, he'll kind of know like, ‘Hey, am I itching to get back there and start grinding and start training and start doing everything I need to do or am I ready for this next chapter?’

"And he's got other opportunities, he's got other things that he can stay busy with," the former pro athlete told the outlet.

Manning's opinions on Kelce's potential retirement come amid rumors that Kelce and Swift have put a pause on their wedding planning.

Sources told journalist Rob Shuter's Shuterscoop that the couple is savoring their engagement and want to make sure every detail is perfect.

“They’re not even halfway through the guest list. Right now it’s more about enjoying time together than crunching spreadsheets.”

“Travis is still figuring out if he’s playing next year. They don’t want to stress over a wedding when there’s so much else going on," one insider said.

Another source said, “Taylor is usually so meticulous about every detail, but with Travis, she’s relaxed. They’re taking it slow. The wedding isn’t stressing them out yet—they’re savoring the engagement."