Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered a sharp preseason performance on Saturday, just weeks after headlines swirled over his reported absence from Travis Kelce’s high-profile wedding.
The Chiefs returned to the field for the first time since Kelce tied the knot with pop superstar Taylor Swift in a lavish Madison Square Garden ceremony, opening their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Rams.
Kelce is understood to have celebrated the milestone in front of nearly the entire Kansas City Chiefs roster, with one widely discussed omission.
Butker is believed to have been the lone Chiefs player left off the guest list, a decision Our News Outlet understands caused significant tension behind the scenes in the locker room.
On the field, however, the veteran kicker looked unfazed by the off-field noise, responding with a composed outing that drew praise from his Kansas City teammates.
Butker, who has shared a Chiefs locker room with Kelce since 2017, converted all three of his field-goal attempts, highlighted by a booming 59-yard strike through the uprights.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker stood out during the team’s preseason opener
The polarizing Chiefs star is believed to have been the only player on the roster not invited to Travis Kelce’s July wedding to Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden
After sending the pigskin through the uprights on all attempts, Butker was immediately surrounded by a huddle of his teammates, who tapped him on the back or helmet to congratulate him.
In fact, Butker was responsible for all nine points on the board for the Chiefs. However, even his field goals weren’t enough to narrow the deficit against the Rams with Los Angeles clinching a 20-9 win.
Butker, a devout Catholic and outspoken Trump supporter who has won three Super Bowls alongside Kelce, gave a memorably divisive commencement speech at the Benedictine College in Kansas in 2024.
He referred to pride month as ‘a deadly sin’ and suggested women might consider prioritizing being a ‘homemaker’ over a career.
At the time, Kelce said he disagreed with Butker’s views. Swift, of course, is an outspoken Democrat and Trump critic.
And a Chiefs player told Our News Outlet in July that the wedding invite drama had sparked locker-room chaos within Kelce’s team.
The apparent decision not to invite the controversial kicker in particular having led to snipy text messages in various group chats between teammates.
The Chiefs player, who asked to remain anonymous, says: ‘It’s really their wedding and I understand why they wouldn’t have invited [Butker]. But there’s some difference of opinion [between players]. Lots of texts are going around the team and some people who are close to Harrison feel like he was snubbed.
Butker was immediately surrounded by a huddle of his teammates after his field goals
‘The general idea was that there was a blanket invite for the team, but [every other player] received something individually. If Harrison had really wanted to come, he probably could have. But they’re not close, so… he wasn’t going to go, even if he had been invited.’
As a result, the Chiefs player added: ‘There’s now a lot of gossip going on. Training camp [for the new NFL season] starts in three weeks and it’s going to be a whole thing. A lot of guys want it to be drama [between Butker and Kelce]. They just like that s**t… a couple of the guys are being messy and texting Harrison to see what he thinks. We’re like a high school team sometimes.’
The player continued: ‘Can’t say too much because Travis is my friend… Yeah, there are a few group texts. I’m on one with Harrison [Butker]. Someone sent a news story about him not being invited, and the group was like “WTF?” But he didn’t reply.
‘I don’t think anyone on the team wishes [Kelce] anything but good things. Everyone likes him. He’s a good teammate and a good friend. There’s locker room s**t but it’s nothing disrespectful.’
Kelce, meanwhile, proudly showed off his wedding ring as he arrived to his first Kansas City Chiefs preseason game since tying the knot.
Kelce arrived at the Kansas City stadium with his usual flair, dressed in a knit co-ord shirt and short set featuring a gold tie-dye detailing.
The three-time Super Bowl champion kept it cool with blacked-out sunglasses and black sneakers.
Kelce proudly showed off his gold wedding band as he arrived at Arrowhead Stadium
The NFL star, 36, had a life-changing offseason, marrying pop sensation Swift
However, the most notable accessory adorning his look was, of course, his new shining gold wedding band, which he flashed as he strolled into the stadium.
However, his new wife was not initially spotted in one of the luxury suites at Arrowhead – as she often is for the Chiefs’ home games – as the clash kicked off for the first quarter.
The Shake It Off hitmaker was spotted stepping out in London earlier this week in her first solo sighting as a married woman.
Kelce was not expected to play in the exhibition game and did not start alongside a number of Chiefs stars, including Patrick Mahomes.
