Travis Kelce refrains from judgment on Harrison Butker, despite the kicker’s reference to Taylor Swift in his speech. Kelce sheds light on his stance, emphasizing understanding and support within the team.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce with Taylor Swift following the AFC Championship game Jan. 28 in Baltimore. He addressed controversial comments by Harrison Butker during the “New Heights” podcast without mentioning the kicker’s reference to Swift in that same speech. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Travis Kelce supports Harrison Butker and his right to express his views, even if the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end doesn’t agree with his teammate’s recent controversial comments during a speech at a private Catholic college’s graduation

Kelce and his co-host/brother Jason Kelce, the recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center and recently hired ESPN analyst, spent several minutes early in the episode discussing Butker’s comments and the reactions they have garnered.

“Make no mistake about it, a lot of the things he said in his commencement speech are not things that I align myself with,” Jason Kelce said. “But he’s giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university and shocker, it ended up being a very religious and Catholic speech.

And to me, I can listen to somebody talk and take great value in it, like when he’s talking about the importance of family and the importance that a great mother can make, while also acknowledge that not everybody has to be a homemaker if that’s not what they want to do in life.”

One portion of Butker’s speech that wasn’t mentioned on the podcast was the part where the three-time Super Bowl winning kicker referenced Travis Kelce and his pop superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift, while criticizing certain Catholic priests.