Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed Harrison Butker’s recent comments at a commencement speech regarding women’s roles.
While Reid didn’t say he agreed or disagreed with Butker’s words, he acknowledged his kicker’s right to an opinion and freedom of speech. Butker addressed numerous hot-button issues ranging from women as homemakers, LGBTQ+, president Joe Biden and COVID-19.
But Reid said he did not speak to Butker directly about the situation.
“I didn’t talk to him about this,” Reid said. “Didn’t think we needed to. We’re a microcosm of life here. Everybody is from different areas, different religions, different races. So, we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions. Not necessarily do we go by those but we respect everybody to have a voice. That’s the great thing about America, man. We’re just, like I said, a microcosm of that. My wish is that everybody could kind of follow that.”
Reid was asked what he would tell Chiefs’ women staffers if they came to him with concerns about Butker “speaking ill” of women.
“That hasn’t happened,” Reid said. “I don’t think he was speaking ill to women. 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.”
As far as comments regarding Biden and government, Butker is expected to attend the White House ceremony celebrating the Chiefs latest Super Bowl win.
“I’m sure he will, yeah,” Reid said when asked if the kicker would attend.
Roger Goodell gives first public comments on Harrison Butker
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave his first public statement Wednesday on Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker‘s controversial comments during a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas, on May 12.
“We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. That’s something we treasure,” Goodell said at the NFL Spring Meetings in Nashville, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, told Will Cain and Steve Doocy on a FOX News broadcast from First Baptist Dallas church on Friday that she respects Butker and what he was relaying to the female graduates.
“For sure,” said Hunt, when asked if she understood Butker’s message. “And I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he’s accomplished on and off the field.”
Hunt added: “I can only speak from my own experience, which is I had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up. And I understand that there are many women out there who can’t make that decision but for me in my life, I know it was really formative in my shaping me and my siblings to be who we are.”
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