Morgan Wallen meeting Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes Credit: Travis Kelce Fan Page/Morgan Wallen
NFLBy Sean Keeley on

The speech that Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave at Benedictine College in May continues to stoke controversy and argument three months later.

While he’s been criticized for his comments about women’s roles by many in the sports and media world, he’s also become a cause célèbre in conservative circles, especially as he’s continued to comment on similar issues.

With all of that context in mind, the notion of wearing a Kansas City Chiefs No. 7 jersey right now is the kind of thing that sends a message.

However, sometimes we see what we want to see.

Country music star Morgan Wallen played Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City this weekend. Just like he usually does at his shows, he appeared with a collection of local celebrities. For this show, it was Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones.

When Wallen emerged wearing a Chiefs No. 7 jersey, it appeared that he was doing so as a sign of support for Butker. That notion was driven home by NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, who posted a video of Wallen on X and specifically wrote that it was Butker’s jersey.

That presumption led many of the usual suspects in the conservative media machine to share Wallen’s support for Butker. The news also didn’t land too well with Taylor Swift fans, who were upset that Kelce was hanging out with someone who appeared to be supporting the right-wing media darling.

However, there’s an important piece of context missing from the situation.

First, Wallen’s jersey was customized and said his last name on the back, not Butker’s. Second, Wallen’s tradition is to wear a customized jersey with the No. 7 on it at many of his concerts, perhaps as a reference to his song “7 Summers.”

Wallen himself has not commented on the jersey or his reason for wearing it yet.

While this appears to be unrelated, Kelce certainly finds himself in a precarious position, given that he’s dating Taylor Swift, which comes with expectations from her fervent fanbase, but also supportive of teammate Butker. It’s possible these kinds of online dramas and misunderstandings are only beginning for him as the new NFL season draws near.

[Jordan Schultz]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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