Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes escorted country singer Morgan Wallen as he took the stage at Arrowhead Stadium on Friday.
Before they return to the football field next month, the Kansas City Chiefs stars acted as Wallen’s entourage while he got ready to entertain fans at the home of the Super Bowl champions.
While the quarterback and tight end donned casual streetwear for the event, Wallen was dressed in a red Chiefs jersey, proudly representing the team.
However, fans had mixed feelings about the singer-songwriter wearing the No. 7 — the number associated with the controversial kicker Harrison Butker.
In his commencement address at Benedictine College in May, Butker spoke out, urging men to resist cultural emasculation and insisted that women should aspire to be ‘homemakers.’
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes served as Morgan Wallen’s entourage at Arrowhead
Butker’s remarks were laden with conservative perspectives not only on gender roles but also regarding abortion and vaccines, drawing ire from fans who criticized his views. Tennis icon Serena Williams also took a jab at Butker during the ESPYs after a segment celebrating female athletes.
Amidst pictures from the event, opinions regarding Wallen’s choice of number were clearly divided.
‘I almost left the venue, but he made up for it with Pat and Travis,’ one spectator tweeted.
‘I love how he’s representing Butker!’ another chimed in.
Wallen himself is no stranger to controversy; he faced backlash in 2021 when a video of him using a racial slur made headlines. Nonetheless, a different perspective of his performance at Arrowhead revealed that he wasn’t actually wearing a Butker jersey.
Wallen wore a No 7 jersey, which is the digit worn by controversial kicker Harrison Butker
Butker detailed his beliefs about gender roles for men and women at Benedictine College
A user shared a photo showing that Wallen’s jersey had his name on the back, not Butker’s
The same user who posted the image of Wallen with Kelce and Mahomes shared another from behind him on stage, stating: ‘Just to clarify: that’s not a Butker jersey. Wallen’s last name is on the back.’
The reasoning behind Wallen’s jersey number remains uncertain, though it might be a reference to his 2020 hit ‘7 Summers.’
As for Kelce, Mahomes, and the others, they are back to training after a busy summer.
The Chiefs’ title defense and pursuit of a three-peat will kick off on September 5 against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead.
