You had to think that the Kelce bros. would weigh in on the Harrison Butker controversy, didn’t you?
Both Jason and Travis Kelce carved out some time during the latest episode of their New Heights podcast to address Butker’s commencement speech, which has certainly sparked a lot of reactions across social media. Given that Travis is arguably dating the most successful woman in the world and that Jason is the father of three daughters, people wanted their opinions on the manner.
“I think (Patrick Mahomes) said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” said Travis. “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. When it comes down to his views and what he said at the Benedictine commencement speech, those are his. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it, or just about any of it, outside of him just loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think 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 loved Cleveland Heights for what it was. It showed me just a broad view of a lot of different walks of life. And I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons. I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them based off their beliefs.
“In my household, my mother and my father both provided for our family. And both my mother and my father made a home what it was. So, they were homemakers and they were providers, and they were unbelievable at being present every single day of my life. And I think that was a beautiful upbringing for me. Now, I don’t think everyone should do it the way that my parents did, but I certainly and sure as hell love my parents for being able to provide and making sure that that home was what it was. I’m not that same person without both of them being who they were in their life.”
As for Jason, he emphasizes the value of firsthand knowledge. He appreciates how Travis, having known Butker for seven years, brings a unique perspective compared to people reacting online without ever meeting him. Jason believes insights from Butker’s teammates and coaches, like Andy Reid, offer a richer understanding of a player’s character than anonymous opinions. He acknowledges that differing viewpoints are inevitable but values those grounded in personal experience.
“And make no mistake about it, a lot of the stuff he said in his commencement speech are not things that I align myself with,” Jason said. “But, he’s giving a commencement speech at a Catholic University and, shocker, it ended up being a very religious and Catholic speech. To me, I can listen to somebody talk and take great value in it. Like, when he talks about the importance of family and the importance that a great mother can make while also acknowledging that not everybody has to be a homemaker if that’s not what they want to do in life.
“When you listen to somebody, you take in things that you like. You listen to other things, and you say, ‘I don’t ******* like that.’ I’ve had so many people ask me, ‘What would you do if your daughters had to sit there and listen to somebody tell them — after they just earned a degree — that they should just go align to be homemakers?’ I would say that if my daughters listen to anybody tell them what to do — that they should be homemakers — then I’ve failed as a dad. What the **** are you talking about? I don’t care who’s talking to them. If you let somebody up on a stage tell you that you can’t do that, and then you’re like, ‘Ah, ****, I guess I won’t be a Fortune 500 CEO,’ like you weren’t going to make it. Like, what are we talking about? If you don’t like what somebody says, all you gotta do is say, ‘Yeah, that guy’s a ******* idiot,’ and then you move on!
“I don’t get what the whole fuss is about, to be quite honest. I mean, I get what the fuss is about because I know certain of these groups have been persecuted for a long period in this country. And women, in particular, obviously, my wife, she was a little bit frustrated with some of the comments. Initially, I said, ‘You’re gonna need to go back into the kitchen and make me a sandwich; I’m listening to the game right now.'”
Jason was obviously kidding, as he could barely hold a straight face while making that sexist joke about his wife, Kylie.
“I don’t think we have enough people talking about the foundations of families and the importance and seriousness of parenthood,” he continued. “If you’re gonna embark on being a parent, I do think it needs to be the most important thing in your life. If kids are not the most important thing in you and your wife’s life, you’re failing, in my opinion. I also don’t think that women, for the most part of the issue here, I think there’s a much bigger issue with another gender in terms of raising kids, but I don’t want to go on that soapbox.
“We’ve played our entire careers with people that we don’t align with everything. I don’t know that I played with one teammate he and I have agreed with every single thing that we think. And that’s the beauty. You find a way to work together. You find a way to grow together.”
While neither Travis nor Jason agreed with what Butker had to say, they unsurprisingly took their own angle of offering their own unique takes on the controversy.
Travis called attention to empathy and personal experience, while highlighting the importance of respecting differing viewpoints, even those he disagrees with. Whereas Jason, with his signature blend of humor and bluntness, challenged the outrage while acknowledging the underlying concerns about gender roles.
Whether you agree with their perspective or not, ultimately, both Kelce brothers provided their own opinions on navigating a world filled with diverse thoughts, even those they vehemently disagree with. Neither one of them was going to rake Butker over the coals like Trenni Casey and Michelle Beadle did, but that doesn’t mean they agree with what the kicker said — they just respect his right to say it.
