Speculation is swirling about who will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show and Taylor Swift’s name is suddenly at the top of the list.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall furled the buzz during an appearance on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday. When co-host Savannah Guthrie pressed him about Swift possibly performing, Goodall didn’t shut the door.
“We would always love to have Taylor play,” he said. “She is a special, special talent. She would be welcome at any time.”
Goodell even teased that conversations might already be happening, adding: “It’s a maybe. It’s a maybe… I’m waiting on my friend Jay-Z to be able to help me with that one. It’s in his hands.” (Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s company, helps produce the halftime spectacle.)
Swift’s ties to the NFL have only grown stronger thanks to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a story line that’s captured headlines far beyond football.
The timing could also be perfect. Her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, drops October 3, just months before the big game. It follows her record-smashing Eras Tour, which grossed more than $2 billion across 149 shows worldwide.
If she lands the gig, Swift would join recent halftime headliners like Usher, Rihanna, and Kendrick Lamar. The NFL usually announces its performer in early September Lamar’s show was revealed on September 8, 2024 meaning an official decision could be just around the corner.
While Swift looks like the front runner, one other superstar won’t be taking the stage: Cardi B. The rapper told Billboard she turned down the NFL’s offer, saying she wants to wait until she’s musically and personally ready.
“If I get to do it, I’m going to have more hits and I’m going to eat that up,” Cardi explained, adding she wants to deliver the kind of performance fans will never forget.
This is the second time Cardi has walked away from the Super Bowl spotlight. Back in 2019, she declined to perform at Super Bowl LIII in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who protested racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem.
For now, fans are left guessing: will Taylor Swift finally bring her stadium-shaking magic to the NFL’s biggest stage in 2026?
