Harrison Butker Becomes NFL's Highest-Paid Kicker Months After Controversial Comments

Earlier this year, Harrison Butker gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas that quickly became the talk of the country.

The NFL kicker didn't hold back, diving into hot-button issues like politics, the LGBTQ community, and gender roles. But his remarks took a controversial turn when he told the graduating women they had been fed "the most diabolical lies." A wave of backlash quickly followed.

Months after the speech went viral and after Harrison Butker faced immense backlash, he became the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

As The Blast reported, the NFL kicker addressed the graduating class, saying to them: "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."

"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," he added. "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?"

The NFL kicker didn't stop there; he also suggested that many of the women in the graduating class are eager to embrace roles as wives and mothers.

"Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world," he continued in 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 later spoke about his own wife, Isabelle, 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."

His speech didn't shy away from other topics, including abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and what he called the "degenerate cultural values" perpetuated by media.

“Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder,” he said during the speech. “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion rally.”

Despite the backlash and controversy surrounding Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs have resigned him, making him the highest-paid NFL kicker.

According to reports from the NFL, Butker signed a four-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, August 5, worth $25.6 million, including $17.8 million in guaranteed money.

Butker confirmed the news, taking to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “There’s no place I’d rather be than with the Chiefs, excited to finalize a 4-year extension,” Butker wrote on X. “To the Heights!”

As he nears his eighth season in the league, Butker has been a reliable asset for the Chiefs’ offense. Over his seven-year career, he has successfully made 89.1% of his field goal attempts and 94.5% of his extra points, according to the NFL.

Shortly after the speech went viral, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell broke his silence: “We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have a diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. That’s something we treasure."

Goodell's statement came after the NFL released a statement, claiming that Butker's views don't align with the organization's views.

“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. “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.”

Over the years, the NFL has made significant strides in creating a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ fans and employees. The league has rolled out rainbow-themed NFL Pride merchandise and teamed up with GLAAD, the leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization, to host various Pride events at the Super Bowl.