The Kansas City Chiefs can’t get a break, but nobody in the NFL world is feeling bad for them as they prepare to attempt to win their third-straight Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have dominated headlines this offseason —but the storylines haven’t been about football — and there seems to be one controversy after the next with the Super Bowl champs.
For the last two months, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been in the news and his availability in 2024 is a major question mark as of now.
Rice was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and his rookie season ended with a Super Bowl victory. He was a key part of the effort as he broke the NFL postseason rookie receptions record with 26 catches. However, his football accomplishments are currently being overshadowed by off-field issues. He is facing multiple felony charges due to a multi-vehicle crash that happened in Dallas in March. He is also under investigation for allegedly assaulting a photographer at a nightclub earlier this month.
Right when the Rice stuff started to die down a little bit, Harrison Butker — the Chiefs kicker, who is one of the best players at his position in the NFL — brought more controversy to the organization due to a speech he gave at a Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. During his commencement speech, Butker was accused of making homophobic, sexist and misogynistic remarks.
The speech from the Kansas City Chiefs kicker has led to division, with outrage coming from one group of people and praise from another, as his jersey has been the most sold amongst all NFL players over the last week.
Butker’s comments have caused widespread outrage from the public, with many calling for the Chiefs to release the three-time Super Bowl champion. In fact, there’s an online petition with over 200,000 signatures for Kansas City to cut ties with him.
Though it’s been a week since Butker made those comments, the Chiefs still haven’t publicly addressed the matter. Jonathan Beane, the NFL Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, told People that Butker’s “views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
A few of his teammates, most notably All-Pro DL Chris Jones, have taken to social media to defend him.
Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Called “P***y” By Pearl Jam Lead Singer At Concert
Like so many of these hot-button issues, there are parties on two very different sides. Those that side with Butker — including most surprisingly Whoopi Goldberg — believes the importance of free speech outweighs anything the Chiefs kicker may have actually said.
It’s a common sense approach. Let people speak openly without restrictions or backlash but if you don’t want to listen to them or disagree, simply don’t engage and move on with your day.
But in today’s divisive political landscape, these topics don’t die down easily and celebrities, talking heads and even rock bands are continuing to use their own platform to chime in on Harrison Butker.
At a recent concert, Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder took time between songs to degrade the Kansas City Chiefs kicker in the worst way possible.
Eddie Vedder just called out Harrison Butker and called him the ‘P’ word here in Vegas
‘There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman,’ he said.@PearlJam pic.twitter.com/8ABLNW3ON0
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 19, 2024
“You can see the kicker because he doesn’t have any pads and he doesn’t get tackled or tackle anybody, but he was telling men don’t forget to pump up your chest and to be more masculine. Don’t lose your masculinity. The irony was that when he was saying that, he looked like such a pussy.”
The crowd awkwardly cheered as if half didn’t quite agree with Vedder’s statement.
“There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman.”
For Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, the hope is that the Kansas City Chiefs can start focusing on football and only football with the season starting in just a few months.
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