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The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t exactly stayed distraction-free in the months following their latest Super Bowl victory. Most recently, kicker Harrison Butker was in the crosshairs for the veteran’s recent polarizing commencement speech at Benedictine College.
Among others, Butker’s comments drew the attention of the league office with Roger Goodell releasing the following statement last week (h/t Yahoo Sports): “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
When asked again about Butker’s speech on Wednesday, the NFL commissioner explained how the league has a “diversity of opinions.”
“We have over 3,000 players,” said Goodell. “They have a diversity of opinions & thoughts just like America does. I think that’s something that we treasure & that’s part of ultimately what makes us as a society better.”
Those comments by Goodell were echoed by Butker’s head coach, Andy Reid, and quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, the team’s two most notable spokespeople, who defended kicker when asked about his comments Wednesday at Kansas City’s OTA session.
“I know Harrison,” Mahomes told reporters. “I’ve known him for seven years. And I judge him by the character that he shows every single day, and that’s a good person. 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 of life, and they have a lot of different views on everything. And we’re not always gonna agree.
“And there’s certain things that 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 try to lead people in the right direction. And that might not be the same…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/roger-goodell-addresses-harrison-butkers-controversial-comments-andy-reid-patrick-mahomes-defend-chiefs-k/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2024-05-23 18:52:40
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