Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid sounded off about the controversy surrounding kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College.
Butker made liberal’s heads explode when he told female graduates that while women can have fulfilling careers, being the cornerstone of a family would be the most rewarding aspect of their lives.
“I know Harrison. I’ve known Harrison for seven years, and I judge him by the character that he shows every single day and that’s a good person,” Mahomes commented to reporters at the Chiefs training complex in Kansas City on Wednesday.
“That’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact on society.”
JUST IN: Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes strongly defend kicker Harrison Butker for his pro-traditional values speech.
Reid even shot back after one reporter tried claiming that Butker was speaking “ill” of women.
Mahomes: “I’ve known [Harrison] for… pic.twitter.com/Lj9Hm8XLCv
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 22, 2024
He pointed out that the team’s roster is chock-full of players with vastly different viewpoints, and it’s crucial to respect those differences.
“When you’re in the locker room, there’s a lot of people from a lot of different areas of life,” number 15 explained.
“There’s certain things that he said I don’t necessarily agree with but I understand the person that he is and he’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”
“And that might not be the same values I have,” he noted. “But at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the character that he shows every single day and that’s a great person.”
Despite being labeled a “misogynist” by the liberal media, Reid said that he didn’t believe that Butker “was speaking ill to women” during his address.
“He has his opinions, and we all respect that. I let you guys in this room, and you have a lot of opinions that I don’t like, so,” he said in a shot at the reporters gathered.
When asked a question about Butker's speech, Andy Reid was absolutely savage in his answer regarding the media members they let in the room 💀 pic.twitter.com/SbBe01eHDM
— how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS) May 22, 2024
The three-time Super Bowl champion head coach said that he did not talk to Butker about the speech, and doesn’t think the Chiefs organization needs to.
“We’re a microcosm of life. Everyone is from different areas, different religions, different races,” he said about his team. “And so, we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everyone to have a voice.”
“That’s the great thing about America, man, … and my wish is that everybody can kind of follow that,” he added.
Contrarily, the NFL gave a statement last week that made it clear that the league doesn’t stand behind the kicker.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” commented Jonathan Beane, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
“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.”
Meanwhile, liberal comedian Chelsea Handler labeled Butker a ‘Misogynist Bible Thumper’ in a scathing social media take down.
“As you may have heard, there’s a man by the name of Harrison Butker who’s talking more than I typically like for a male,” Handler began in a video she posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
“He is the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. And I learned that kickers rarely get tackled. So, based on his misogynistic rant during a recent commencement address I’m guessing this Bible thumper thumped himself a little too hard with his Bible and gave himself CTW,” she said in a shot at the player.
This is the first and last time I want to talk about an NFL kicker. pic.twitter.com/KILqikJURa
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) May 22, 2024
She included a clip from Butker’s commencement speech where he said that while some of the women graduates would “go on to lead successful careers,” he assumed they would be more excited about becoming wives and mothers.
“First of all, Harrison, you’re a kicker, so you have one important part of your body and it’s not your f–king brain,” Handler shot back.
She then shared a clip of Butker saying his wife, Isabelle, was happy to be a homemaker instead of a working professional.
“Isabelle, please blink twice if you need us to call for help,” Handler deadpanned.
The comedian went on to point out that Butker’s mother is a renowned physicist with a degree in chemistry and likely funded the sports-related expenses that enabled him to become an NFL player.
“So, who paid for all those” fees related to his childhood playing sports, Handler inquired rhetorically, “so he could grow up to have a career making millions of dollars for f–king kicking things? My guess is a working woman.”
“Harrison this is the first time I’ve heard about you and hopefully the last,” Handler concluded. “And after this, I’m gonna go ahead and do what your fellow teammate does and just pretend like you don’t exist.”
She ended her rant with a clip of Mahomes saying he does not talk to Butker at all, despite his remarks about knowing him for seven years on Wednesday.