Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech has taken over the Chiefs' offseason this month.
Everyone has had an opinion on what Butker said, so it wasn't a surprise when reporters asked Chiefs head coach Andy Reid what he thought about his kicker's comments. And while Reid didn't explicitly say whether or not he agreed with Butker, he implied that what Butker said wasn't as bad as advertised and that everyone is entitled to their beliefs.
In the process, he also took a jab at the media.
"I don't think he was thinking ill of women, but he has his opinions and we all respect that," Reid said at OTAs on Wednesday. "I let you guys in this room and you have a lot of opinions that I don't like."
That was a slightly harsher tone than the one his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, took when asked the same question on Wednesday. Mahomes said he disagreed with what Butker said but wouldn't judge him on his opinions. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel added his own spin on the situation, while NFL commissioner Roger Goodell effectively mirrored Reid's sentiments.
Butker's speech came under fire over the past two weeks because of his portrayal of women. He said he believed that women are more excited about becoming mothers and wives than building a career and therefore insinuated that that's when their lives truly begin.
"Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world," Butker said, "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."
The NFL's official statement denounced Butker's comments and stated that his words "are not those of the NFL as an organization." Others like Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, the nuns of the college Butker spoke at and journalist Maria Shriver all voiced their strong opposition to Butker's speech.
Butker isn't the only Chiefs player to be in hot water this offseason. Second-year receiver Rashee Rice faces a "multi-game suspension" for his role in a multi-car crash in Dallas in April as well as eight charges against him. He was also the subject of a police investigation into an alleged assault, but those charges were later dropped.
