Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker recently signed a massive contract, making him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. Notably, the news is a significant failure for cancel culture. Butker received substantial backlash earlier this year for refusing to shy away from his Catholic and conservative values at the Benedictine College commencement ceremony he spoke at.
According to reports, Butker recently signed a four-year $26 million contract extension, which guaranteed $17.75 million. Impressively, Butker reportedly negotiated and represented the deal himself without an agent. The 29-year-old kicker is clearly a valuable asset to the Chiefs, whom he helped win a second consecutive Super Bowl this year.
Notably, the major contract extension comes after Butker doubled down on his Christian beliefs at a recent press conference. The American Tribune reported on the kicker’s statements where he stood firm in his Catholicism. “I appreciated all the feedback. I know, when it comes to football, I don’t really look at the comments good or bad towards me, but with it being the off-season and stating a lot of these things, I was really curious as to what people came back to me,” Butker said.
“And I respected all the viewpoints, but in terms of what I said, you know, I prayed about it, and I thought about it, and I was very intentional with what I said, and I stand behind what I said,” he added. “And I really believe if people knew me as a person and understood that I was coming from a place of love and not a place of trying to attack or put people down, that I only want the best for people, and that’s what I was trying to say there. I think the people that were in that gymnasium all understood what I was saying,” he continued.
Speaking on his role as a man leading a family, Butker said. “Yeah, I mean, I think my whole career, I’ve talked about how I’m a husband and I’m a father before it comes to me as a kicker, something I’ve always preached.” The kicker explained that he employs the same logic toward women. “But then when I use that to talk about women, I say that they should embrace and love being wives and being mothers over their career,” he said.
Butker also spoke at the Courage Under Fire Gala in Nashville in late May. “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” he said. “Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe.” Butker emphasized the importance of his faith, having no regret in expressing it despite the controversy.
He continued, “In my seven years in the NFL, I’ve become familiar with positive and negative comments. But the majority of them revolve around my performance on the field. But, as to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most, my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I’ve become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all.”
"*" indicates required fields
Watch Butker double down on his faith below: