Andy Reid didn’t hold back when asked about Harrison Butker’s now-viral commencement speech at Benedictine College, when the Chiefs kicker encouraged female graduates to be “homemakers” and said the LGBTQ+ community was partaking in “deadly sins” by celebrating Pride.
During a press conference at the team’s facility Wednesday, the Chiefs coach threw some shade at reporters when asked what he would tell female employees if they came to him with concerns about Butker speaking ill of women in general.
“I don’t think he was speaking ill to women,” the 66-year-old Reid said. “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, so.”
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Reid said no female employee had confronted him with concerns about Butker’s comments at the time.
“I didn’t talk to him about this. I didn’t think we needed to,” Reid said. “We’re a microcosm of life. Everyone 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 everyone to have a voice. That’s. the great thing about America, man… and my wish is that everybody can kind of follow that.”
Reid laughed when asked if there is frustration that this offseason has had distractions off of the field.
“Listen, we don’t want those things obviously to happen, but things happen and you work through it. My thing is, it’s important that you learn from it and you end it. So that’s important.”
Reid explained that his players “are good with that,” in terms of managing distractions.
“Everbody’s got their own opinion, and that’s what’s good about this country is that you can share those things and you work through it and that’s what guys do,” he said.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also addressed Butker’s comments and defended his teammate’s character during the press conference.
“I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every day and that’s a good person,” Mahomes told reporters at Chiefs OTAs on Wednesday. “We’re not always going to agree. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”
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The three-time Super Bowl MVP and Butker won three titles together with the Chiefs.
Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt also defended Butker when Steve Doocy asked about the kicker’s speech during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” last Friday — and said she respects the kicker and his Christian faith.
Butker, who’s open about his religious views, faced backlash after his speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic school, with some petitioning for him to be released by the Chiefs.
In it, Butker told female graduates that their biggest success story would be their roles as wives and mothers — and said women have been diabolically lied to about topics including abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.
Butker and his wife Isabelle, who he said proudly embraces her homemaker role, share two children, a son and a daughter.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was also asked about Butker’s speech during a separate press conference held at the NFL league meetings in Nashville on Wednesday.
“We have over 3,000 players,” Goodell said. “They have diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. That’s something we treasure. That’s part of what ultimately makes us as a society better.”
The NFL distanced itself from Butker in another statement saying its values do not align with those of the three-time Super Bowl champ.