Saquon Barkley defends Taylor Swift after Super Bowl boos: ‘She’s made the game bigger’

Saquon Barkley has been enjoying his victory lap after the Philadelphia Eagles‘ blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

Once the celebration started Sunday night, Barkley has been serenaded by the NFL on FOX crew, shotgunned beers with his teammates on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and appeared on “The Howard Stern Show.”

But one thing about the Super Bowl still bothers Barkley: when fans at the game in New Orleans booed Taylor Swift.

“I remember that they showed [Taylor Swift] on the Jumbotron and she got booed,” Saquon told Stern. “I don’t get it. I don’t get why she was getting hate there. She’s there supporting her significant other and she’s made the game bigger.”

Swift, who has been dating tight end Travis Kelce since the 2023 season, has become a familiar fixture at Chiefs games. Since their relationship became public, Swift has cheered on Kelce at 23 of his games, including all three of Kansas City’s postseason matchups this season and Super Bowl LIV last year.

During the 2024 regular season, a majority of NFL players polled by the Athletic said they see Swift’s presence as a positive for the NFL. Barkley agrees.

“We’re all about, how can we expand the game and make it more internationally. And we’re traveling to Brazil and we’re traveling to Mexico, and apparently we’re traveling to Australia soon, so we’re trying to expand the game and her being a part of it is only helping that,” Barkley added. “So I don’t get the slack that she’s getting.”

The Eagles started their Super Bowl-winning season with a win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. That was also Barkley’s first game as a member of the team after he played his first six seasons with the New York Giants. He had an auspicious Eagles debut, with 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Barkley went on to run for 2,005 yards during the regular season and finished his campaign, playoffs included, with the single-season NFL rushing record.

Though Barkley had a relatively quiet rushing performance against the Chiefs with 25 carries for 57 yards, he was still a key part of Philadelphia’s second ever Super Bowl championship team.

After Barkley earned his first Super Bowl ring, Stern asked if he had any thoughts on whether Swift and Kelce will get married. Barkley declined to answer because he’s no “Anti-Hero.”

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