Eli Manning Reveals Taylor Swift Dating Travis Kelce Has Helped Him Bond With His Daughters Over Football: 'It's Been Fun'

Eli Manning has Taylor Swift to thank for helping him bond with his kids!

"It's great. Last year when the Kansas City Chiefs game was on, my daughters were watching the game. They were sitting on the couch watching with me, and now my 13-year-old [named Ava ] and 11-year-old [named Lucy ] are in fantasy football leagues," the football star, who retired in 2020 after having played 16 years in the NFL, exclusively told OK! while talking about his partnership with King’s Hawaiian and his role in the NYC Pretzel Carts Takeover on Thursday, September 12, in New York City.

" Travis [Kelce] was a first round pick in the girls' fantasy football league . It was like, 'Who can get Travis the fastest?' That was funny. That's not the norm in some other leagues I'm in, but it's also the same reason I can get them to watch football me with me on a Sunday. They're rooting for certain players, so it's fun to get them to spend some time with me and watch the game with them," Manning, who also shares Caroline , 9, and Charlie , 6, with wife Abby McGrew , continued. "They know a few of the players, but they're learning names and watching different teams. It's been fun. They're getting into their roster and learning what to do."

Things even get a little crazy in the Manning household, as one of his daughters gets "super competitive."

"She wants to win the whole thing," he said.

While in the Bahamas earlier this year, the 43-year-old athlete was able to persuade Lucy to walk with him on the beach by saying they might run into the pair, who started dating in the summer of 2023. "She was looking for Taylor, but I knew there was a zero chance of seeing her," Manning joked about the duo's vacation. "I was like, 'Let's go look for her,' knowing we would never see her, but I got an hour and a half with my daughter instead! She was then trying to get me to text Travis, but I said, 'No chance.'"

Ever since the pop star, 34, started dating Kelce, people have taken more of an interest in football, which Manning thinks is "great."

"Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce , have done a great job with their podcast and have great personalities. That sibling relationship is so unique. They can rift with each other, and that's the great thing about being with your brother. You can take a shot at them, you can make fun of them a little bit, and they're not going to be sensitive," Eli, who appears alongside his brother Peyton Manning in ManningCast on ESPN, shared.

Eli knows all too well what it's like to have a brother in the space, as he and Peyton were both successful football players. Now, they get to provide their own analysis and commentary on Monday Night Football with their show.

"This is something we'd normally be doing — talking about football. When a Sunday or Monday game is on, we'd call each other and be like, 'Hey, are you watching this?' I'm like, 'Yeah. Did you see this?' We talk football and watch games anyway, so now we just get to talk about it on our show! We get to bring on some great guests," Eli explained.

When Eli isn't thinking about football, he's focused on his partnership with King’s Hawaiian and his role in the NYC Pretzel Carts Takeover. Eli jouned hundreds of New York City street cart vendors as they collectively traded in their usual pretzels for the day and gave away nearly half a million of King’s Hawaiian Soft Pretzel Bites – the newest product from the brand beloved for its irresistible sweet rolls — on Thursday, September 12, in New York's Flatiron Plaza.

"It's an exciting day with the pretzel carts! King's Hawaiian Soft Pretzel Bites went out to New York City street cart vendors. The soft pretzel texture with the subtle sweet King's Hawaiian roll is an irresistible snack, and I'm excited to be a part of it," he said about brand’s first-ever snack, which has a perfect soft pretzel texture and that subtle sweet taste of King’s Hawaiian Rolls combined with a touch of salt.

"King's Hawaiian is a fan-favorite in our household. They're easy to give to my kids after school or bring to sports or activities. It's great, very versatile. You can put on mustard, you can dip it in cheese, and that's what makes it so fun," he added. "New York has given me so much, and it's kind of a way for me to give back to New York City and give the fans these soft pretzel bites with these vendors. It's a fun way to do this activation, and it's a great fall day in New York City; there's such good energy around."

Eli, who is all about barbecuing with his family on Sundays, insists King's Hawaiian is a great snack whether you're at a tailgate or on the go. "We did Slider Sunday last year, which was a lot of fun, and it has became a tradition. The kids are looking forward to this fall and getting back into that routine!" he exclaimed.

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You can enter a sweepstakes for the chance to level up your own tailgate with the ultimate catered spread from King’s Hawaiian, including an appearance from this custom King’s Hawaiian’s Pretzel Cart the athlete manned on September 12, at KHPretzelBitesSweeps.com .