Travis Kelce ‘Cherishes’ Harrison Butker ‘as a Teammate’ and Won’t ‘Judge’ the Chiefs Kicker After His Controversial Commencement Speech

Like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce won’t be shunning his teammate Harrison Butker because of his problematic views.

During the Friday, May 24, episode of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, the 34-year-old addressed the NFL kicker’s controversial remarks nearly two weeks after Butker delivered an infamous commencement speech at Benedictine College.

“I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” Travis declared just two days after the Chiefs quarterback addressed Butker’s remarks during a press conference for his team.

“He’s treated family and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone,” the boyfriend of Taylor Swift declared. “When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, 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.”

Travis noted: “And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”

“I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races and ethnicities, in Cleveland Heights, and that’s why I love Cleveland Heights for what it was,” the podcast co-host explained. “It showed me a broad spectrum, just a broad view of a lot of different walks of life. And I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons, and I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them, based off of their beliefs.”

Plus, Travis said part of his ability to accept all walks of life and their opinions is thanks to his parents, Ed and Donna Kelce.

“Both my mother and my father made home what it was,” Travis expressed. “They were homemakers and they were providers and they were unbelievable at being present every single day in my life.”

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“That was a beautiful upbringing for me,” he praised of the parents-of-two. “I don’t think everyone should do it the way that my parents did, but I certainly, sure as h—, thank my parents and love my parents for being able to provide and making sure that home was what it was because I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”

Travis’ older brother, Jason, 36, also reflected on the 28-year-old athlete’s remarks, as he pointed out: “There’s always going to be opinions that everybody shares that you’re going to disagree with.”