Chiefs coach Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes broke their silence on Harrison Butker's controversial Benedictine College commencement speech, taking a strong stance in support of Butker's character and his right to speak his mind. Would Travis Kelce's response be any different, considering Butker invoked Taylor Swift?
The Kelce brothers took time to address Butker's comments during the latest episode of "New Heights," going into detail about the kicker's character and what they took away from the speech that angered so much of the Chiefs' fan base.
Mahomes and Reid only briefly discussed Butker in front of a crowd of reporters earlier in the week, but the podcast setting allowed Kelce to go a bit deeper about the situation.
Here's a look at what Kelce had to say about his teammate's comments that sparked a firestorm of outrage.
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Travis Kelce on Harrison Butker
Despite Kelce's macho brand, he's proven at different points that he can be thoughtful when the situation calls for thoughtfulness. That's exactly how the future Hall of Famer approached the discussion about Butker.
Like Mahomes, Kelce spoke to his own experience with Butker and praised his teammate's character.
"I cherish him as a teammate," Kelce said. "I think Pat said it best. He is every bit of a great person and a great teammate. He's treated friends and family that I've introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness, and that's how he treats everyone."
Still, Kelce insisted that he doesn't agree with "just about any" of what Butker said in his speech, with one exception.
"When it comes down to his views ... those are his. I can't say I agree with the majority of it, or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids," Kelce said. "I don't think that I should judge him by his views, especially by his religious views, about how to go about life. That's just not who I am."
Kelce explained that he grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Cleveland Heights that exposed him to people from "different walks of life" and forced him to appreciate everyone regardless of their beliefs.
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The nine-time Pro-Bowler didn't specifically address most of Butker's views but did bring up his own experience growing up and the family dynamics that helped raise him.
"Both my mother and father made home what it was," Kelce said, praising his parents for both working and providing for the family while still being present for him and his brother. Some critics of Butker's speech believe the 28-year-old was rejecting the idea that a woman can have a career and still be an effective mother.
both travis and jason commenting on butkers commencement speech by saying neither of them agree with most of what he had to say but also speaking as people who know him personally was brilliant. (uploading the full 7 minutes for more context) 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ebDnXegziE
— Tayvis Nation 🏈🫶🏻 (@tayvisnation) May 24, 2024
Jason Kelce said he favors the opinions of those who know Butker — including Mahomes, Reid and his brother — over what the internet has to say about the Chiefs kicker, while adding that he also doesn't agree with much of what Butker said.
"He's giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university, and, shocker, it ended up being a very religious and Catholic speech," Jason said.
"I don't get what the whole fuss is about, quite honest," Jason added, arguing that listeners should take from the speech what they like, reject what they disagree with, and move on. Jason also admitted that his wife, Kylie, was "frustrated" with some of Butker's comments.
"I don't know that I've played with one teammate that he and I have agreed with every single thing that each one of us thinks," Jason continued.
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Harrison Butler commencement speech
Butker was the subject of widespread outrage in the days after his speech, with much of it coming from fans of Swift who didn't appreciate the three-time Super Bowl champion's comments about women or his reference to the pop star as "my teammate's girlfriend." A petition calling for Butker's release by the Chiefs garnered more than 225,000 signatures.
Comments by Kelce, Mahomes, Reid and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell were far more measured, with each speaking out in support of Butker's right to speak his mind. Both Kelce and Mahomes staunchly vouched for Butker's character, with Mahomes calling the 28-year-old one of his closest friends.
While the outrage from fans might not disappear entirely by the time the Chiefs' season begins in September, any idea that Butker's comments would create a rift in the Kansas City locker room appears to be wrong.
