Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes stick up for Harrison Butker after backlash over Christian commencement speech

The Chiefs' coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have come to the defense of Harrison Butker after Butker gave a speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas that received backlash from left-wing politicians and others online. Butker had focused on Christian values and emphasized that women should not be told "diabolical lies" about the importance of family and their careers. 

Reid was asked by a reporter who said during a question that Butker spoke "ill of women" in his speech.

Reid responded, saying, "That hasn't happened," then added, “I don't think he was speaking ill to women, but 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.” 

Mahomes also defended Butker, even though he said that they may not agree on everything. “I've known [Harrison] for seven years and I judge him by the character that he shows every single day. And that's a good person.” 

Butker's teammate added, “That's someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, and wants to make a good impact in society. When you're in the locker room, there's a lot of people from a lot of different areas in life and they have a lot of different views on everything. We're not always going to agree, and there's certain things that he said that I don't necessarily agree with, but I understand the person that he is." 

Earlier in May Butker tore in President Joe Biden for proclaiming his Catholic faith and at the same time advocating on behalf of abortion. He also said that the majority of women will find more fulfillment in their families than in their careers.  

During his speech, Butker became noticeably emotional when he credited his wife with his life successes, saying, "It cannot be overstated, that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."