LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 07: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs off the field after the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
OAN’s Abril Elfi
5:27 PM – Thursday, May 23, 2024
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently expressed that, although many of his views do not exactly align with those of Harrison Butker, he still defends Butker’s choice to freely express his opinions in the college graduation ceremony that sparked controversy.
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Earlier this month, Butker, a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, sparked criticism after publicly discussing pride month, abortion, birth control, and working women during a speech at Benedictine College’s commencement ceremony.
Benedictine College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas.
During a Chiefs workout session, Mahomes was asked what he thought about Butker’s recent comments.
“There’s certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I understand the person that he is and he is trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction,” Mahomes, who has won three Super Bowls alongside Butker, said. “And that might not be the same values as I have, but at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the character that he shows every single day. That’s a great person and we’ll continue to move along and try to help build each other up to make ourselves better every single day. But at the end of the day, we’re going to come together as a team and I think that’ll help out as eliminating those distractions outside of the building as well.”
During his speech, the NFL kicker told attending female graduates that they had been told the “most diabolic” lies, especially in comparison to men. Butker also praised his wife for taking on the “vocation of homemaker.”
Meanwhile, Chief’s coach Andy Reid stated that he would not comment on the player’s personal views, since they both “respect each other’s opinions.”
“We’re a microcosm of life,” Reid said. “Everybody is from different areas, different religions, different races. And so, we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions – and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice. [That’s the] great thing about America. And we’re just, like I said, a microcosm of that, and my wish is that everybody could kind of follow that.”
However, the NFL also released a statement regarding the college speech, stating that the league does not affiliate with the particular views brought up by Butker.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,” the league’s chief diversity officer, Jonathan Beane, said last week. “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
Earlier this year in February, the Cheifs won their third Super Bowl.
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