Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes had layered response when asked about Harrison Butker’s speech

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes provided a nuanced take Wednesday when asked about kicker Harrison Butker’s recent viral graduation speech at Benedictine College.

Mahomes, for instance, said “there’s certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with.”

The QB followed, however, by conveying that he has known Butker long enough to understand the type of individual he is.

“I judge him by the character that he shows every single day, and that’s a good person,” Mahomes said. “That’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact in society.”

Mahomes later discussed an idea coach Andy Reid had also communicated earlier in the day: that an NFL locker room consists of diverse people with a wide range of viewpoints.

And while Mahomes’ thoughts diverged from Butker’s, he still saw the kicker as someone “trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”

“That might not be the same values as I have,” Mahomes said, “but at the same time, I’m gonna judge him by the character that he shows every single day.”

Butker gained national attention following a 20-minute commencement address in mid-May at Benedictine, a Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. During his talk, Butker criticized Pride Month and President Joe Biden. He also spoke directly to women graduates during one stretch and broke down while talking about his wife, Isabelle.

“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world,” Butker said to the women at the ceremony. “But I would venture to guess that the majority of you 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 as a mother. I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.

“I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because the 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.”

When asked which parts of Butker’s speech he disagreed with, Mahomes said there were “certain values that some people emphasize more than others.”

“I’m not going to get into the full details of the entire speech, but at the same time, I know what kind of person he is,” Mahomes said. “And I’m going to make sure that I look at that first, and then let the other stuff handle itself.”

Butker made his speech, coincidentally, on the same day that Mahomes’ address from the Time100 Gala was released publicly. In his address, Mahomes toasted women’s sports, which he said were “finally getting the attention” they deserved.

Mahomes admitted Wednesday that his and Butker’s speeches receiving attention on the same day was “pretty bad timing, I guess you could say.”

“But I think what makes a locker room so cool is you’re able to have those discussions and become better and make those decisions for yourself,” Mahomes said, “And so even though they’re very vast differences — as far as those speeches happening at the same time — you’re able to talk to guys and get knowledge and you make your own decisions at the end of the day. And I think 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.”

Both Mahomes and Butker joined the Chiefs in 2017. Each has won three Super Bowls with KC while playing under Reid.

Mahomes said he had seen most of Butker’s speech, including the majority of snippets that circulated online. He believed some of Butker’s words were “taken out of context a little bit,” but also felt people needed to take responsibility for their public words.

“He went out there, and he thought it through, did his own speech. And that’s his views,” Mahomes said. “And I think at the end of the day, it’s about us taking the man and his values and everything that he does every single day, and then judging him by that — not by one moment or one speech.”

Mahomes vowed not to let any perceived rifts come between the Chiefs as they pursue a third consecutive Super Bowl this season.

He also believed teammates would move forward from this together.

“It gets a little divisive sometimes when you get to social media and you get to outside the building,” Mahomes said. “But in the building, you can have those healthy discussions and still be friends at the end of the day, even though you might not agree with exactly the same things.”