Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones took to X on Thursday night to offer support to his teammate Harrison Butker, the team’s kicker. Butker has been on the receiving end of backlash from far-left extremists over a commencement speech in which he endorsed traditional gender roles and affirmed his Catholic faith.
“I love you@buttkicker7! My brotha,” Jones wrote in an X post while tagging Butker’s account. The post quote-tweeted by Jones contained references to a number of NFL superstars, including former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill, who have been arrested for crimes like domestic violence and assault.
A five-time pro-bowler, Jones has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. He recently signed an extension that will keep him in Kansas City — where he has won three Super Bowl rings — for the foreseeable future.
Sales of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s jersey have soared after his pro-traditionalism commencement speech at a private Catholic college drew the ire of far-left extremists earlier this week.
According to NFL.com, Butker’s jersey sales are among the most popular as of this report. Only Travis Kelce remains more popular as of this report.
Local outlet KCTV also reported on increased sales reported by Kansas City retailers. One such retailer, the Rally House, told the outlet that they are completely sold out of Butker jerseys.
“My first two phone calls were about jerseys, t-shirts, jerseys, anything we had Butker-wise,” store manager Aaron Lewis said. “He has sold more than Kelce and Mahomes today — just the demand after the speech, it’s been men and women — it’s been both calling to get his jersey.”
Butker discussed a number of topics in his commencement speech at Benedictine College, including the fallout from COVID-19 policies, abortion and traditional gender roles.
“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” he said. “The bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media, all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”
Speaking to women directly, Butker encouraged homemaking and belief in Catholic teachings.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives,” he said. “I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, 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.”
Butker has never been one to shy away from his staunch Catholic and conservative beliefs. In addition to a number of comments on current events, the NFL veteran shared a similar message during a commencement speech at Georgia Tech last year.
“I’m not sure the root of this, but at least I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come: get married and start a family,” Butker said.
While Butker’s speech has met with praise from millions of Christians and conservatives, the NFL distanced itself from his remarks after pressure from the far-left. “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement sent to People magazine. “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.”
Butker has faced threats to his job over sharing his beliefs, as an online petition calling for his release has been signed by tens of thousands of angry leftists. His address was also revealed by the city of Kansas City’s official X account. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has vowed to investigate the matter and hold those responsible to account.
Through seven seasons with the NFL, Butker’s field goal percentage sits above 89 percent. He has also been a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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