Taylor Swift may not be confirmed as the next Super Bowl halftime performer, but the door is wide open. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week that the league would welcome the pop superstar “at any time,” adding his own stamp of approval as one of the world’s most powerful sports executives and, apparently, one of Swift’s many millions of fans.

Appearing on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday, Goodell offered what amounted to a public invitation for Swift to take the stage at football’s biggest night. “We would always love to have Taylor play,” he said. “She is a special, special talent and obviously, she would be welcome at any time.”

Despite the enthusiasm, Goodell stopped short of confirming whether Swift is in talks to perform at Super Bowl LX, scheduled for February 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. When asked directly if the league was working to secure her, he hedged. “I can’t tell you anything about that,” he said, before conceding, “It’s a maybe.”

The decision, he noted, ultimately rests with Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has overseen halftime show bookings since 2019. “I’m waiting on my friend Jay-Z to help me with that one,” Goodell said. “It’s in his hands. I’m waiting for the smoke to come out.” Reps for Swift, Roc Nation, and Jay-Z declined to comment.

While a Super Bowl appearance would mark a career first, Swift is hardly a stranger to the NFL. She first sang the National Anthem at the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game in 2006, a performance that helped introduce her to a wider national audience. Four years later, she appeared at the league’s Opening Kickoff event in New Orleans. More recently, her pop spectacle has intertwined with football on several occasions: in 2019, she teased her single “Me!” during the NFL Draft broadcast, and in 2022, she debuted a trailer for her Midnights album during a primetime matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals.

Her presence at games has grown even more visible over the past year, thanks to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift was a fixture in NFL broadcasts throughout the 2023–2024 season, helping fuel storylines that boosted ratings and drew new demographics to football coverage.

Industry insiders have long floated Swift’s name as a likely halftime headliner, and the calendar may finally line up. She is set to release her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 3. With new music in hand and her world tour winding down, she would be in a prime position to craft a spectacle tailored for the global stage of the Super Bowl.

Another factor: eligibility for music’s other biggest night. Because The Life of a Showgirl will miss the cutoff for the 2026 Grammys, Swift would not face competing obligations in the crucial early months of 2026. That could free her schedule for an elaborate halftime show while keeping her momentum intact heading into the following year’s awards season.

Goodell, for his part, left little doubt about his own position. “I’m definitely a Swiftie,” he said with a smile, underscoring his enthusiasm not just as a league executive but as a fan.

The NFL has a track record of announcing halftime performers in early September, last year, Kendrick Lamar was confirmed as headliner on Sept. 8.