Travis Kelce has changed into a ‘different man’ since he and Taylor Swift have started dating, claims Dave Merritt – the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive backs coach.

Appearing on last week’s episode of ‘The Sports Shop Podcast with Reese & K-Mac,’ Merritt, 52, said that he believed the 12-time Grammy Award-winning singer’s presence at games last season ‘added’ another layer to the Chiefs’ ultimate objective of becoming the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2004 Patriots.

Taylor Swift was around Travis Kelce and the Chiefs before people knew

‘She actually affected the team in a positive way,’ Merritt said, at first. ‘Everybody was excited and Travis was happy.

So when my players, a brother is happy beside me, that helps me and that encourages me and so Travis came in there a different man. So, she helped us.’

Merritt, who’s been with the Chiefs since 2019, added that all players on the team  were immediately supportive of the couple’s relationship from the start, despite it being a potential distraction.

Travis Kelce takes his reunion with Taylor Swift in his stride and fans are already thinking about where they'll meet up | Marca

Merritt also shared that Swift first came to stadiums ‘privately’ before her romance with Kelce went public.

‘She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put a big spotlight on it,’ he said.

Travis Kelce became a 'different man' when he and Taylor Swift started dating: Chiefs coach

Merritt also jokingly gave the popstar some credit for winning a Super Bowl in her first year in the NFL, referring to Kansas City’s overtime Super Bowl victory against the San Francisco 49ers, earlier this month.