Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech sparked widespread outrage from NFL fans after clips of his comments circulated online. Now, fans are finally hearing from teammate Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid about the speech.
Mahomes and Reid both supported Butker's right to express her opinions, but they took bold stances on the role of women in society and took slightly different approaches to comments targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
Butker encouraged female Benedictine graduates to consider roles as housewives, arguing that motherhood is more important than any career, and called LGBTQ+ Pride Month a “mortal sin of pride,” which also drew heavy criticism.
Butker's comments gained attention in part because he referred to Taylor Swift as his “teammate's girlfriend,” which prompted fans of the pop star to criticize the Chiefs. A petition has been launched calling for the Super Bowl-winning kicker to be fired.
Here's what Mahomes and Reid had to say about Butker's comments Wednesday.
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Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid talk about Harrison Butker's speech
Reed expressed support for Butker's right to express his opinion and told reporters he didn't feel the need to discuss the comments with the team during OTAs.
“I didn't think there was a need to do that. We are a microcosm of society. We respect each other's opinions. We have a voice,” Reid said.
Andy Reid had this to say about Butker's comments: “We (the team) are a microcosm of society.” “Everyone has their own opinion. That's the great thing about this country.” #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/AMTeJ2pDET
—Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) May 22, 2024
The 12th-year Chiefs coach did not address Butker's comments until Wednesday, after Kansas City's offseason activities began earlier this week.
“Everyone has their own opinion. That's the great thing about this country,” Reid continued.
When asked what he would say if a woman who works at the Chiefs facility came forward with concerns about Butker's comments, Reid reiterated that he strongly supports the right of all team members to express their opinions. He also said he didn't think Butker was “talking badly” about women.
“No, that hasn't happened,” Reid said about women approaching the Chiefs facility and expressing their concerns. “I don't think he was speaking ill of women. He has his opinion and we all respect that.”
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Mahomes also supported Butker's right to express his opinion, but made it clear that he disagreed with some of what his teammates said.
“I've known him for seven years now. I judge him by the character he shows every day, and he's a good guy,” Mahomes said. “We don't always agree. He's said some things that I don't agree with.”
Butker is one of Mahomes' longest-tenured teammates. The Chiefs signed him just weeks into Mahomes' NFL career, a year before the two-time MVP became Kansas City's starter. Butker was a key cog with Mahomes under center in all three of the Chiefs' championship runs.
“I've seen the film and that's his opinion,” Mahomes added, without going into detail about what parts he disagreed with.
Patrick Mahomes made it pretty clear during his press conference that he considers Harrison Butker a close friend, though he declined to share exactly what he disagreed with most about Butker's comments during the talk.
“I saw the footage. … That's his take,” Mahomes said.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) May 22, 2024
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in his first public comments on the matter, echoed Reid's sentiments, insisting that diversity of opinion is “something we value.”
“That's ultimately part of what makes our society better,” Goodell said, explaining that with 3,000 players in the NFL, there will naturally be a range of opinions.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Harrison Butker's graduation speech: “We have more than 3,000 athletes. … They have as diverse opinions and ideas as America. That's something we value and ultimately makes our society better.” I think that’s part of what makes it better.”
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 22, 2024
Despite the controversy surrounding Butker's comments, the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history in terms of field goal percentage, his job was never considered to be in serious jeopardy.
Considering Reid and Mahomes' impact on the Chiefs, Wednesday appeared to put an end to the idea that a kicking change might be on the table for the defending Super Bowl champions.
