How NFL players really feel about Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has been the talk of the NFL since she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce went public with their relationship last year.
Some have praised the pop singer for bringing more fans — and especially more young women — to the game.
But others have criticized her for taking attention from players.
In the latest edition of its annual NFL player poll, The Athletic investigated how Kelce’s colleagues feel about Swift’s place in the game.
Reporters asked 102 NFL players, who remain anonymous in The Athletic’s coverage, if Swift’s new interest in the NFL has been bad for the league.
The survey showed that very few players — just 4.9% — say Swift’s presence has been negative.
Most (72.5%) say it’s been positive, while 22.5% say it’s been both good and bad, The Athletic reported.
The NFL players who participated in the survey had the opportunity to follow up their answer with a brief explanation.
Those who were positive about Swift mostly talked about being grateful for her ability to generate additional interest in the sport.
“I think it’s been positive for the league,” one player said, according to The Athletic. “I think that at the end of the day, it’s a business and you need to get as many eyes on it as possible. And she brings a lot of eyes, so, you know, if that increases the salary cap, I don’t think anybody’s gonna be too mad about that one.”
The players who said Swift has been bad for the NFL, on the other hand, generally said that she’s become a distraction.
“I feel like she is getting unnecessary coverage,” one player told The Athletic. “There was the whole NFL opening season video on Twitter and she was featured five times and our quarterback was featured none. That’s not even right. She is not the NFL.”
Players between the two camps said the league — and the networks that air games — need to chill out and learn how to celebrate Swift’s presence without overdoing it.
“They’ve got to find a balance,” one player who answered “both positive and negative” told The Athletic.
The Chiefs next play on Monday night at home against the New Orleans Saints.