In a powerful testament to the importance of free speech and team unity, Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have shared their thoughts on kicker Harrison Butker's controversial faith-based commencement speech, highlighting the value of diverse opinions and mutual respect within the team.
For the first time since Harrison Butker's faith-based commencement speech, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have shared their thoughts on it. Both Mahomes and Reid emphasized the importance of freedom of speech in the United States.
Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, told reporters on Wednesday, "What makes the locker room so cool is you’re able to have those discussions and become better and make those decisions for yourself. Even though there’s vast differences as far as those speeches happening at the same time, you get to talk to guys and get knowledge and you make your own decisions at the end of the day. That’s what makes this country so great is that you’re able to get as much knowledge as you can, and then you make your own decisions."
Reid echoed this sentiment, adding, "Everybody’s got their own opinion, and that’s what’s so great about this country. You can share those things and you can work through it. That’s what guys do."
Mahomes also spoke about Butker's character, noting the positive qualities he's seen over their seven seasons together with the Chiefs. While admitting he disagreed with some of Butker's speech, Mahomes said, "I judge him by the character he shows every single day -- that’s a good person. That’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family. He wants to make a good impact in society. There’s certain things he said that 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. It may not be the same values that I have, but at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the character he shows every single day and that’s a great person."
Reid mentioned that he hasn’t spoken to Butker about the speech and that the Chiefs didn’t feel the need to issue a statement regarding the backlash Butker received. While the NFL released a statement reiterating its commitment to inclusion, the Chiefs remained silent.
Butker's speech, which encouraged female graduates of Benedictine College to embrace their "vocation" as "homemakers," sparked significant backlash but also received defense from supporters citing his Christian beliefs. Both Mahomes and Reid highlighted the Chiefs’ locker room as a space where diverse opinions can be shared and respected.
"We’re a microcosm of life here – different areas, different religions, different races," Reid said. "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. It’s the great thing about America, man. …My wish is everybody can kinda follow that."
Mahomes added, "We’ll continue to move along and help build each other up to make ourselves better every single day. At the end of the day, we’re going to come together as a team, and I think that will help eliminate those distractions outside the building."
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