Caleb Harris
The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t exactly been distraction-free in the months since their last Super Bowl victory. Most recently, kicker Harrison Butker found himself in the social media crosshairs for the senior’s polarizing Benedictine College commencement speech. But Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became the latest teammate to defend Butker this week, addressing the kicker’s comments on a recent episode of his “New heights” podcast.
“I’ve known him for over seven years, probably over eight years,” Kelce said. “And I esteem him as a teammate. I think (Patrick Mahomes) said it best: He’s…a great person and a great teammate. He treated friends and family I introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness, and that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes to his views and what he said in the… graduation speech, I can’t say I agree with most, or just about anything outside of him loving. his family and his children, (but) I don’t think I should judge him for his views, especially his religious views, on how to live life… I grew up in a beautiful upbringing from different social classes, different religions, different races and ethnicities… Both my mother and father made home what it was.
Kelce’s brother Jason had similar sentiments on the podcast.
“I (appreciated) teammates’ reactions with the Chiefs, Andy Reid’s reactions,” Kelce said. “You learn more about who people are and who they are on a daily basis. A lot of the things he said are not things I align with, but he’s giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university and – shockingly – – it turned out to be a very religious, Catholic speech.”
Among others, Butker’s comments caught the attention of NFL office with Commissioner Roger Goodell releasing the following statement last week, by Yahoo Sports: “Harrison Butker gave a speech in a personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
When asked again about Butker’s speech on Wednesday, Goodell explained that the league has a “diversity of opinions.”
“We have over 3,000 players,” he said. “They have a diversity of opinions and thoughts, just like America. I think that’s something we value, and ultimately it’s part of what makes us a better society.”
Those comments from Goodell were echoed by Reid and Mahomes, the Chiefs’ two most notable spokespeople, who defended the kicker on Wednesday in Kansas City’s OTA session.
“I know Harrison,” Mahomes told reporters. “I’ve known him for seven years. And I judge him by the character he shows every day, and that’s a good person. This is someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to do a good impact on society. When you’re in the locker room, there are a lot of people from different walks of life, and they have very different opinions about everything.
“And there are certain things he said that I don’t necessarily agree with. But I understand the person he is, and he’s trying to do everything he can to try to lead people in the right direction. same values as me, but at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the values that he demonstrates every day, and he’s a great person… I know what kind of person he is, and I will. make sure you look into that first.”
Reid piggybacked on Mahomes’ stance, supporting the three-time Super Bowl champion kicker.
“I talk to Harrison all the time,” Reid said. “I didn’t talk to him about it. I didn’t think I needed to. We’re a microcosm of life here. We’re from different areas, different religions, different races. We all get along. We all respect each other’s opinions. And we don’t necessarily follow that , but we respect that everyone has a voice. That’s what’s great about America, man. We’re just a microcosm of that, and I wish — my wish is that everyone could follow that.”
Asked how he might respond to women who work for the Chiefs who were offended by Butker’s comments, Reid dismissed the question, telling reporters that did not happen.
“I don’t think he was talking down to women,” Reid added. “But he has his opinions, and we all respect that. I let you into this room, and you have a lot of opinions that I don’t like.”
Butker initially received backlash – particularly on social media – after his broad speech of May 11, aimed at practicing Catholics, addressed a range of controversial issues, including abortion and “degenerate cultural values.” The 28-year-old kicker notably argued that women have been told “diabolical lies” about prioritizing career advancement over motherhood, and suggested that Pride Month celebrates a “deadly sin.” He also urged men to be more present – and “do hard things” – inside and outside the home.
Butker, who is one of NFL most accurate kickers of all time in terms of career field goal percentage, briefly saw his number 7 jersey become one of the best sellers in the league after his comments went viral.
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