Saquon defends Taylor Swift after Super Bowl boos

Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley doesn't understand why Taylor Swift was being jeered while watching the Super Bowl.

"I remember that they showed her on the jumbotron, and she got booed. I don't get it. I don't get why she was getting hate there," Barkley said Wednesday on "The Howard Stern Show," according to ESPN.

Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce prior to the 2023 NFL season. She attended the Super Bowl on Sunday in support of Kelce and was booed loudly by the crowd in the first quarter.

"She was there supporting her significant other, and she's made the game bigger. ... We're trying to expand the game, and her being a part of it is only helping it. I don't get the dislike she's getting," Barkley added.

Swift and Kelce's highly publicized relationship has resulted in more women watching the NFL. Forty-seven percent of the league's viewership is female, according to USA Today's Bryan West, and networks will often show her watching the Chiefs play.

"I think the Taylor effect, as many people call it, obviously boosted our audience," Marissa Solis, the senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing at the NFL, told West. "We love Taylor. She's a huge icon among that audience. ... I think she just helped us and came at the right time."

The Eagles dominated the Chiefs on Sunday, 40-22, with Barkley registering 57 rushing yards. The running back was named Offensive Player of the Year after setting a single-season record of 2,504 rushing yards.