Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid broke their silence on teammate Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech earlier this month.
Both Reid and Mahomes backed Butker, saying he’s a good person and insisting that just because someone has different values than him doesn’t mean they can’t get along.
Butker’s speech at Benedictine College’s graduation called on men to “fight cultural emasculation” and stated that women are meant to be “homemakers.”
Butker’s speech was filled with conservative opinions, not only on gender roles, but also on abortion and vaccines.
Some called the speech extremely sexist and called for the NFL to punish Butker for saying negative things about women.
Reid has been the Chiefs’ head coach since 2013 and won three Super Bowls with the team.
Mahomes has been Butker’s teammate since 2018 and defended him on Wednesday.
‘I have known (Harrison) for seven years and I judge him by the character he shows every day. And that he’s a good person,” Mahomes said.
“He’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to have a good impact on society,” Mahomes continued.
Reid’s job as head coach is to be diplomatic and keep the locker room as united as possible. Butker’s speech likely isn’t the first time he’s heard differing opinions in a team atmosphere.
“We’re all from different areas, different religions, different races, and we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions,” Reid said.
“It’s a great thing about America, man,” Reid continued. “And we are, like I said, a microcosm of that and my wish is that everyone can follow that.”
“I don’t think he was speaking badly about women, but he has his opinions and we all respect them.” “I let (the media) into this room and you have a lot of opinions that I don’t like.”
Butker has been under fire for more than a week after some called her graduation speech sexist.
At the Chiefs’ 2023 Super Bowl celebration at the White House, Butker broke a tie with a pro-life Latin phrase written near President Joe Biden.
The issue of a national abortion ban in the United States has intensified in the last two years, since a Republican-majority Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States.
Butker’s protest took place last June, as the Chiefs were celebrating winning last year’s Super Bowl.
The date for another Kansas City championship celebration at the White House in honor of its victory over the San Francisco 49ers is expected in the coming months but has not been announced.
Butker said he has no plans for another silent protest against the Biden administration’s pro-choice stance, but he “put a lot of thought” into last year’s message.
Butker is a three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the most outspoken voices among current NFL players opposing President Biden’s policies.