Tony Romo admitted he intentionally called Taylor Swift Travis Kelce’s “wife” on air in 2023 to mess with fans. (Image via Getty)

Tony Romo is owning it. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback says his viral on-air slip in December 2023 was not a slip at all. He intentionally called Taylor Swift Travis Kelce’s “wife” to mess with fans while the relationship was turning into the NFL’s biggest side show.Romo made the confession Thursday, Jan. 29, during SiriusXM’s “The Morning Mash Up.” He said he wanted people to “think for a second,” then realized the internet took the bait exactly like he expected.

Tony Romo Says He Dropped the ‘Wife’ Line to Make Fans Spiral

Romo admitted he leaned into the moment on purpose. “I did that on purpose and people were like, ‘Do you know something?’” He followed it with the real point of the prank. “Nah, I just wanted to make you guys think for a second [and] just mess with you a little bit.”The original moment happened on Dec. 10, 2023, during a Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Buffalo Bills, when Romo referred to Swift as Kelce’s “wife,” then corrected himself. A week later, he did it again during Chiefs vs. Raiders, then quickly walked it back with “girlfriend,” setting up the booth banter that made the clip travel.At the time, it was obviously inaccurate. Swift and Kelce did not announce their engagement until Aug. 26, 2025, when they posted, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨.”

The Real Story Is the Pressure Romo Admitted Came With the Swift-Kelce Spotlight

Romo’s “trolling” confession is funny, but the subtext is the tell. He also said it was difficult to stay neutral and balanced while the Swift-Kelce coverage exploded and cameras kept hunting for her reaction shots. That’s not a small thing for an analyst. The job is the game. The broadcast also knows what drives attention.And that’s why this clip never died. It wasn’t just “did he misspeak.” It was “is the booth playing along with the circus.” Romo’s answer is basically yes. He pushed a button because he knew fans would fight about it, clip it, repost it, and keep the conversation going long after the final whistle.