Pat Mahomes defended Harrison Butker’s character after the Chiefs kicker received severe backlash for defending Christian values at a recent commencement speech.
Butker, a devout Catholic, delivered the commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic institution in Kansas. In the speech, Butker unapologetically urged men to embrace their masculinity, blasted President Joe Biden for his pro-abortion stance, and, when addressing the women, placed motherhood on a higher level than having a professional career.
On Wednesday, while speaking to reporters at Kansas City’s OTAs, Mahomes didn’t say he agreed with everything Butker said but defended his character and called him a “good person.”
“I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character that he shows every single day, and that’s a good person as someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, wants to make a good impact in society,” Mahomes said.
“When you’re in the locker, 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. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”
Mahomes did not go into detail about what specifically he disagrees with Butker about.
In his address at Benedictine College, Butker devoted a good portion of his talk to the “diabolical lies” our culture has told women.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing achievement. You should be proud of all that you have achieved at this point in your young lives,” Butker said. “I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.
“How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
“I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and a mother. I am on this stage and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation … It cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because of a girl I met in class back in middle school, convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most-important tiles of all: homemaker.”
On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that a “diversity of opinion” improves society.
“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.”