All NFL season, CBS analyst Tony Romo insisted on referencing Taylor Swift as the “wife” of Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, despite no ring or wedding to speak of.

As recently as the AFC Championship game, everyone from Swifties to the average NFL viewer wondered why Romo continued dropping the phrase despite no indication the two would wed. And on Thursday in a virtual press conference in the lead-up to CBS broadcasting Super Bowl LVIII next weekend, Romo acknowledged the quips were nothing more than a joke.

It’s a joke. I know sometimes people don’t think so … sometimes the humor doesn’t go over as well,” Romo told reporters on the call. “But I think people take to it … people come up to me all the time and they say, ‘what do you know? Do you think they’re going to be (married)?’ And everything.”

So according to Romo, he is merely winking at the viewer by continuing to allude to nuptials between the tight end and the pop star. It’s his way of getting on the energy around Swift that followed the Chiefs all season.

Romo came across like the goofball uncle who doesn’t always know how to read the room.

“To me, it’s just more fun to joke with people sometimes,” he said Thursday.