It’s safe to say the NFL commissioner is a Swiftie, too. On Wednesday, Roger Goodell essentially extended an open invitation to Taylor Swift to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, stating that she’s “welcome at any time.”
“We would always love to have Taylor play,” Goodell said during an appearance on the Today Show. “She is a special, special talent and obviously, she would be welcome at any time.”
When asked directly if there were any official plans in the works to get Swift on the halftime show stage, Goodell played coy. “I can’t tell you anything about that,” he said at first, but when pressed, he added: “It’s a maybe.”
As for when a decision might be announced, Goodell deferred to Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation helms the Super Bowl Halftime Show. “I’m waiting on my friend Jay-Z to help me with that one,” Goodell said. “It’s in his hands. I’m waiting for the smoke to come out.”
Reps for Swift, Jay-Z, and Roc Nation did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment.
And as if there was even a shred of doubt based on his previous comments, Goodell proudly declared himself among Swift’s fans: “I’m definitely a Swiftie,” he said.
Swift would make sense for the February 2026 game at Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Over the past few years in particular, her name has been mentioned as a likely prospect. For one, she’s about to drop her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 3, so she’d be armed with new material to perform. And because the album won’t be eligible for the Grammys until the 2027 edition, her schedule would likely be open for the Super Bowl.
She also has a long-established relationship with the NFL, having sung the National Anthem in 2006 at the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game. In 2010, she performed at the NFL’s Opening Kickoff event in New Orleans. She teased “Me!” during the 2019 NFL draft and debuted a trailer for Midnights during the third quarter of a 2022 Thursday night game between the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals.
Last but not least, she’s been a constant at NFL games, given her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end and now-fiancé, Travis Kelce.
For now, we’ll have to await an official announcement, which is likely to arrive soon. Last year, officials announced Kendrick Lamar as the headliner on Sept. 8.
