Colton Underwood Calls NFL's Reaction To Harrison Butker's Speech A 'Business Decision'

Harrison Butker, 28, made a controversial commencement speech last month, seemingly telling women their future is to become homemakers and calling LGBTQ pride a "deadly sin."

Following the backlash, the NFL and Butker's teammates, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, responded to his speech.

Weeks after Harrison Butker's commencement speech, former NFL player and "The Bachelor" alum Colton Underwood is reacting to the NFL's statement.

Last month, Harrison Butker delivered a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic institution in Kansas. He discussed several topics, including politics, the LGBTQ community, and gender roles.

The NFL kicker received tremendous backlash after he told the women of the graduating class that they "have had the most diabolical lies told to [them]."

"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," he said during his speech. "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."

He then spoke about his wife, who "would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother." He also called her a "homemaker."

After hearing Harrison Butker's speech, the NFL organization released a statement.

“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told PEOPLE Magazine shortly after the speech went viral. “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.”

The NFL has supported the LGBTQ community over the years, making several efforts to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ fans and employees.

Not only have they launched rainbow-inspired NFL Pride gear, but they have also hosted many Pride parties at the Super Bowl in conjunction with GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization.

Weeks after Harrison Butker's commencement speech went viral, former NFL player Colton Underwood reacted to the NFL's response.

“It is not surprising to me,” the "Bachelor" alum told Us Weekly. “Look, I’ve been a part of it. At the end of the day, they’re making a business decision. I think that is what needs to be said. The NFL, as much as it is a sport, it’s an entertainment business.”

After retiring from the NFL and after becoming "The Bachelor," Underwood publicly came out as gay in an interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America."

Following the backlash, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce both addressed Harrison Butker's controversial speech.

Mahomes called Butker "a good person" and "someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, and wants to make a good impact in society."

The NFL quarterback added, "We're not always going to 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 is trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction."

For Travis Kelce's part, he echoed Mahomes by calling Butker a "great person" who is entitled to his own views. However, Travis later clarified that he didn't agree with most of Butker's speech.

In his 2024 commencement speech, Harrison Butker discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting how it "played a large role throughout your formative years" and criticizing "bad policies and poor leadership [that] have negatively impacted major life issues."

He continued by addressing issues such as abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, and the support for "degenerate cultural values in media," attributing these to a "pervasiveness of disorder." Butker pointed out the contradiction of a national leader who openly declares his Catholic faith while "making the Sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion rally."

Additionally, Butker urged the male graduates to "be unapologetic in your masculinity."

Butker later commented on the backlash, standing by his comments and beliefs.