Travis Kelce Calls Chris Stapleton’s 2023 Super Bowl Anthem the Best Ever
As anticipation built for this year’s Super Bowl, Travis Kelce made a bold statement, declaring that this National Anthem performance was the best to ever grace the iconic moment before “The Big Game.” It even made him tear up Kelce’s words echoed the admiration fans and athletes alike shared for Stapleton’s soulful rendition, elevating the stakes for this year’s pre-game tradition.
Which Singer Delivered The Best National Anthem Performance At The Super Bowl? Travis Kelce Says It’s Chris Stapleton…
Like many Americans, Travis Kelce still revisits Chris Stapleton‘s iconic National Anthem performance from Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
Travis, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, played in Super Bowl LIX in 2025. He already made four appearances in “The Big Game” prior to 2025, and won three times.
His brother, Jason Kelce, is also a Super Bowl champion. Although he’s since retired, he played in two Super Bowls and won one as a player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both Kelce brothers were on the field in 2023 when the Eagles and Chiefs faced off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. That means they both witnessed Chris Stapleton’s now-iconic National Anthem performance in person.
The cameras didn’t show Travis’ reaction to the performance, but they did pan to Jason, who had tears in his eyes. The Eagles’ coach, Nick Sirianni, was full-on crying.
During a recent episode of their New Heights podcast, Jason asked Travis who he thinks delivered the best National Anthem performance at the Super Bowl. Travis said it was Chris, hands down.
“You already know, it’s Chris Stapleton,” Travis said. “There’s just no one even close. On a sad day, I will put that video on. I’ll go to YouTube.”
Travis also shed light on his reaction to Chris’ performance in that moment, saying:
“I cried, but I kept my composure. But more so, Chris did his thing and [it’s] one of my favorite performances ever.”
The Kelce Brothers Have Proven To Be Country Music Fans
Jason told his brother he plans on seeing Chris Stapleton in concert soon (which he has since). This shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans, since this isn’t the first time the Kelce brothers have shared their love for a country artist.
In 2024, the brothers performed an impromptu (and hilarious) duet of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” on their podcast. The clip caught the attention of Toby’s team, who shared it on his Instagram Story.
The Kelce brothers also sang Zac Brown Band’s “Toes” on their podcast, and the band reacted to it. Travis admitted to being a big fan of the group.
The brothers talked more about country music on a later 2024 episode of the podcast. Jason professed to being a bigger fan of more classic artists, citing Willie Nelson as a go-to.
In addition, Travis is currently dating Taylor Swift, who started her career in country music. She’s surely introduced him to some of her favorite country songs!
Watch Travis and Jason Kelce’s previous conversation about country music in the video below, where they also mention Chris Stapleton.
