Colin Kaepernick Explains Why Taylor Swift Was Never His Type Before Travis Kelce Entered Her Life

Colin Kaepernick has opened up about an unexpected Taylor Swift connection from his NFL days, revealing that his adoptive mother once encouraged him to ask the pop superstar out. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback recalled the conversation in his new memoir, The Perilous Fight, while making it clear that his decision had nothing to do with any dislike of Swift. His comments offer a surprising glimpse into a period when neither Swift nor Travis Kelce had entered the other's world.

Colin Kaepernick explains why Taylor Swift was not his type

Kaepernick's story appears in The Perilous Fight, which was released on September 15 through Hachette's Legacy Lit imprint. In the memoir, he recalls his mother suggesting that Swift could be a good match for him during his playing career.

According to Kaepernick, his mother believed the two would "be perfect together." He, however, did not share the same view and chose not to pursue the singer.

Kaepernick was direct about his reasoning, writing, "No slight to Taylor Swift, but she was not my type."

The comment is less about Swift herself than about how casually their names once crossed paths. At the time, Swift was already becoming one of the biggest names in music, while Kaepernick was building his NFL career with San Francisco.

Kaepernick also used the memoir to revisit a more personal memory involving his mother and his teenage years. He described how she displayed a photograph of him with a white girl but kept a homecoming picture featuring a Black classmate in a drawer. The memory became part of his broader reflection on race and his upbringing.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's relationship came years later

The timeline makes the Kaepernick story even more striking. Kaepernick's NFL career with the 49ers ran from 2011 through 2016. His connection to Swift never developed, while Kelce would eventually make his own attempt to meet the singer years later.

In July 2023, Kelce attended Swift's Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium. He later revealed on the New Heights podcast that he had tried to give Swift a friendship bracelet containing his phone number, but never got the opportunity.

Swift subsequently addressed the moment in her December 2023 TIME Person of the Year interview, describing the interaction as "metal as hell."

Their relationship soon became public, with Swift attending a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023. The couple later announced their engagement in August 2025 and married on July 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Kaepernick's memoir therefore revisits an old possibility that never went anywhere, long before Swift and Kelce became one of the most closely followed couples in sports and entertainment.