Travis Kelce’s inner circle for his wedding to Taylor Swift has been confirmed to the Daily Mail and for all of the NFL hero’s recent star-studded friendships, he’s keeping things close to home.
New York’s Madison Square Garden has been transformed for the ceremony that the whole world is watching and when Kelce and Swift tie the knot in front of around 1,000 guests in the heart of Manhattan, Kelce will have a close group of friends standing right by him.
Sources have told Daily Mail that, perhaps unsurprisingly, his older brother Jason is his best man. Ultimately, it would have been a huge surprise if it was anyone else – the two are extremely close, and have been throughout their lives.
Kelce wears the No. 87 at the Kansas City Chiefs because it’s the year Jason, 38, was born. Their bond tightened across the course of their respective football careers and strengthened further, Jason has said, from launching their New Heights podcast together.
Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, is also believed to be a groomsman. Kelce and Mahomes have won three Super Bowls together with the Chiefs and have formed what many across the NFL describe as a telepathic understanding on the field.
Remarkably, when the Chiefs drafted Mahomes back in 2017, he got a frosty reception from Kelce, who threw his support behind the then-starting quarterback Alex Smith.
Sources have told the Daily Mail that Jason Kelce is reportedly Travis’s best man for his wedding to Taylor Swift in New York this week
Patrick Mahomes – one of Kelce’s best friends and business partners – is a groomsman
Ross Travis, one of Kelce’s oldest friends, is also rumored to be among the inner circle for the big day in the heart of Manhattan
Nearly 10 years later and Mahomes is one of Kelce’s best friends, his business partner and now a groomsman for the biggest day of his life.
Patrick’s wife Brittany has become very close friends with Taylor, too – the group even went on vacation together in 2024 to support Swift in Amsterdam during her Eras Tour dates in the city.
Kelce is also believed to be including many of his childhood friends from his Cleveland upbringing in his group of groomsmen.
That group of long-term pals include Ross Travis, a former NFL player who like Kelce, played for the Chiefs as a tight end during his career – albeit not to the levels of success that Kelce has enjoyed.
Travis is one of several of the crew Kelce welcomes to his VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs games – they are very often joined by Swift for the games.
The group regularly includes the Eanes brothers, Andre and Aaron, who also manage Kelce and have helped build his brand into the megastar that he is today – even before he started dating someone with Swift’s huge global fame.
His personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, is also part of that group and shared a picture of himself looking suave in a tuxedo at his New York hotel, just a couple of hours before the proceedings began. They were all at the luxury rehearsal dinner at MSG on Thursday too, the day before the main event.
But, as Daily Mail reported on Thursday night, there are some rumbles of discontent among other parts of Kelce’s friendship group over the roles in the wedding.
Travis led the way when Kelce’s hometown friends made their way to the rehearsal dinner, also held in New York, on Thursday evening
Travis and Jason pictured celebreating together with Swift watching on after the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl back in 2024
Kelce’s personal chef and longtime friend Kumar Ferguson (left) shared a picture on Friday before the ceremony began in New York
There is no mention just yet on what role his father, Ed, is playing.
Daily Mail reported that Swift was concerned her future father-in-law might leak information about the top-secret wedding in the buildup to the event that has been so hush, even some of the guests have appeared confused about how the big day is going to run.
‘He’s sort of like a loose cannon,’ an insider told Daily Mail in May. ‘Nobody knows what he’s going to say, so it’s kind of a controversial situation.’
Ed has always praised Swift, however, and made no secret of his pride at her and his son falling in love.
‘Every (Chiefs) game there’s people crowding outside the front of that suite trying to get a glimpse of Taylor, wanting to meet Taylor,’ Ed told the LA Times in February 2024.
‘Taylor’s very gracious, but she can’t do everything. But if it was up to her she’d be out there with everyone who wants her.’
Kelce’s parents, Donna and Ed, broke up after Travis and Jason were old enough to leave home but have a good relationship today and often spend time together cheering their son on during NFL games.
Swift and Kelce celebrating her birthday alongside Ross Travis back in December 2024
George Kittle and wife Claire pictured in New York the day before the wedding in Manhattan
Outside of Kelce’s select few for his inner circle, he has invited an array of stars from the world of football to his big day – ranging from San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle to New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with his wife, Jen.
Their appearance was particularly surprising given Vrabel’s recent scandal involving his alleged affair with former Athletic reporter, Dianna Russini.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was there too, with his wife Kelly. Stafford was NFL MVP last season and going into the 2026 season, the Rams are favorites to win the Super Bowl in what many expect will be Kelce’s last NFL campaign before retiring.
But for today, at least, those rivalries are all put to one side for a celebration that the world wants to know about.
