Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes address Harrison Butker’s graduation remarks

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Organized team activities, or OTA’s, are underway for the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the big topics addressed during Wednesday’s media briefing was the recent controversial comments made by kicker Harrison Butker during a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Atchinson, Kan.

Butker was criticized for promoting the idea of women devoting their lives to being mothers and homemakers. He also spoke out against Pride Month and President Biden.

When asked what he thought about the comments, head coach Andy Reid said his team is a microcosm of life – representing different areas, different religions and different races.

“We all respect each other’s opinions,” said Reid. “Not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice. That’s the great thing about America.”

Reid was questioned whether Butker’s remarks had an impact on the women on the Chiefs’ staff. He said it hadn’t. He also said his players respect one another and their differing opinions.

“They understand how things work,” said Reid. “Everybody has got their own opinion and that’s what’s so great about this country, you share those things and you work through it. And that’s what guys do.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked similar questions regarding teammate’s remarks. He said he’s known Butker for seven years and judges him by the character he shows every single day, “and that’s a good person.”

“When you’re in the locker room, there’s a lot of people from a lot of different areas of life and they have a lot of different views on everything and we’re not always going to agree,” said Mahomes. “And, there’s certain things he said that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I understand the person that he is and he’s going to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction. And, it might not be the same values that I have, but at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the character that he has and that’s a great person.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was also asked about Butker’s speech on Wednesday at the NFL spring meeting in Nashville, Tenn. He didn’t stray away from the league’s recent statement on the issue.

“We have over 3,000 players,” he said. “We have executives around the league that have a diversity of opinions and thoughts, just like America does. I think that is something that we treasure, and that’s part of, I think, ultimately what makes us a better society.”

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