Caitlin Clark snubbed Travis Kelce when naming her favourite NFL player

WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark has confessed to being a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, yet her all-time favourite NFL player hails from one of their AFC West adversaries.

Despite hailing from Iowa, Clark joined the rest of her family in cheering on the Chiefs, even enjoying a game alongside pop icon Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium when Kansas City clashed with the Houston Texans last season. Her attendance sparked some criticism as she faced accusations of being a 'bandwagon fan', prompting her to address the critics.

Nonetheless, when it comes to her ultimate NFL hero, it's the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning who earns this title, famed for his stints with both the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos throughout his impressive 17-year tenure. Manning's stature as one of the best quarterbacks ever isn't lost on Clark, and she delivered this surprising tidbit directly to his brother, Eli.

Eli, like his elder sibling Peyton, has two Super Bowl triumphs under his belt; however, it is the latter who is often celebrated as an all-time great quarterback. During her appearance on the 'Eli Manning Show,' Clark was quizzed about her number one player, to which she boldly declared her preference for Peyton.

"Former, I'm going Peyton (Manning)," declared Clark. "I actually had a Peyton Manning jersey growing up, not to make you mad, Eli, but I'm going Peyton."

While Clark may have overlooked Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, despite their friendship and her connections with his partner Taylor Swift, he doesn't appear too upset. Clark and Kelce have met up on several occasions before, including at Arrowhead Stadium or during Swift's 'Era's Tour' show in Indianapolis.

The WNBA star even joined the Kelce brothers on the 'New Heights' podcast, where Travis praised her: "She's unbelievable. She's the funnest one to watch right now and one of the best basketball players I've ever seen.

"I just have nothing but great things to say about who she is as a person. She's so welcoming and just so warm as an individual that she can have a conversation with anybody. She's cut from the same cloth as me in that regard."

Despite announcing her family ties to the Chiefs in the past, Clark was still criticized by ESPN's Chris Russo when she appeared next to Swift at Arrowhead Stadium, saying: "All of a sudden now she's a big Kansas City fan. Come on, stop, please."

Russo's scepticism was echoed by fans on social media until her past statements about the Chiefs resurfaced. She then delved into her childhood Chief fandom on the 'New Heights' podcast.

Sharing her lifelong passion, Clark revealed: "I've been a Chiefs fan since I was a young girl. My brother was a Chiefs fan, my dad was a Chiefs fan. I had cousins in Kansas City that were Chiefs fans.

"Honestly it was just something all I knew. In our basement, we had a Chiefs vending machine. We had those toy helmets that were Chiefs that you could run around in the yard and I could knock helmets with my brothers."

Subsequently, Russo withdrew his negative comments about Clark during an appearance on sports commentator Dan Patrick's show. When asked if he wanted to apologise, he responded: "I guess. I guess. I shouldn't be picking on Caitlin Clark. I'm Chief'd out."