The relationship between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift has become part of the NFL’s daily news flow.

But before things became serious between the two, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other teammates would poke fun at the eight-time Pro Bowler for dating the music celebrity.

But in a Talk of the Table interview with CBS on Friday morning, the Chiefs quarterback told host Nate Burleson that he and his teammates stopped teasing Kelce about Swift when she became a familiar face around the team.

“So, for us—I mean, it was a couple of jokes here and there in the beginning,” Mahomes said. “And then he started bringing Taylor around, and you realize how cool of a person she was, and she is. … She’s just part of Chiefs Kingdom, and she’s part of the team.”

How are the Kansas City Chiefs handling Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s high-profile romance?@PatrickMahomes told @NateBurleson about Taylor’s influence on the team: “She’s just part of Chiefs Kingdom and she is part of the team.”

Their interview airs Monday on @CBSSports. pic.twitter.com/H8ShuwiZJG

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) December 22, 2023

As Kelce and Swift continue to dominate NFL headlines, Mahomes will seek to lead the Chiefs to a strong finish in the regular season. Kansas City (9–5) is coming off a 27–17 victory against the New England Patriots in Week 15.

However, the Chiefs have lost three of their past five games. Kansas City will play host to the Las Vegas Raiders (6–8) at 1 p.m. ET on Monday.