Chiefs’ Mahomes: Butker entitled to his beliefs, even though the QB doesn’t always agree with him

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday that while he doesn’t agree with all the beliefs espoused by kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address, the Chiefs quarterback nevertheless respects his teammate’s right to make them be known. Butker delivered what has become a polarizing speech May 11 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, where the three-time Super Bowl champ said most women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having kids, and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.” Butker also assailed Pride month, an important time for the LGBTQ+ community, and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion. But I know the person he is and he’s doing what he can to lead people in the right direction.” Butker’s comments were delivered the same week Mahomes offered a toast to the future of women in sports at the TIME100 Gala: “I’d like to raise a glass to a new era in sports, an era when the women’s game is finally getting the attention it deserves.” “It was pretty bad timing, I guess you would say. Homemaker.“ Butker also criticized as disparaging to the Catholic Church an The Associated Press article highlighting a conservative shift in some parts of the church; he referred to a “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it” in an oblique reference to Pride month; and he took aim at Biden’s policies, including his condemnation of the Supreme Court’s reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for abortion rights — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called Harrison Butker’s recent commencement address “divisive,” not “decisive.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl