Chiefs K Harrison Butker repeats stance on speech, excited for new contract

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is a consistent human being.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Harrison Butker is a consistent human being.

He was consistent as a high school three-sport athlete where he helped his Atlanta, Ga. alma mater, The Westminster Schools, win three state championships in soccer.

He was consistent at Georgia Tech where he kicked his way to becoming the school's all-time leading scorer by making 208-of-210 extra point attempts and 43-of-60 field goal attempts.

And he has been consistent with the Kansas City Chiefs throughout his seven-year career. He has made 89.1% of his field goal attempts and 94.5% of his extra points. This past season was his best as he made all 38 of his extra points and was 33-for-35 (career-high 94.3%) on field goal attempts.

So, the Chiefs signing him as the highest-paid kicker in the NFL before he heads into season 8 is an easy choice for all parties involved. As an industrial engineering graduate, he felt equipped to negotiate his own deal without an agent.

"I can handle the spreadsheets and making sure I'm doing the right job with the counter offers and such and getting to a good deal, but it was a challenge that I took on," Butker said after training camp practice on Wednesday at Missouri Western State University.

The deal that he negotiated over eight to 10 weeks is worth four years, $25.6 million with $17.8 million guaranteed, according to reports. Butker will make an average of $6.4 million a year and is signed through the 2028 season.

"I think it's, it's good to know that the kicker market is still moving forward," he said. "There's a lot of points being scored and kickers are part of that games are closer than ever.

"I'm grateful to be able to move [the kicker market] up a little bit," he said about being the new highest-paid kicker. "I know there's going to be a bunch of kickers after me that are going to continue to push it but I mean, I'm sure I'll look back and be cool to think about that."

Self-described as an introvert, he attacked his new contract the same way he continues to attack field goals and many other things in life: prayer, concentration, and blocking outside noise.

"Would have been easy for me to have an agent handle the contract, but I kind of attacked this fear. I wanted to go out and have faith in myself to represent myself and do something that not a lot of players do and it wasn't too difficult," he said.

Butker is consistent off the field, as a husband to his wife Isabelle and a father to their three kids. The Butker family is often on the field at Arrowhead Stadium after games in the most proper clothing as Butker makes it a point to wear a suit to every game day.

The 29-year-old is also consistent in his beliefs and faith in Catholic values.

While his kicking keeps his name in NFL circles, his outspokenness towards topics like women in the workforce, abortion rights, and LGBTQ+ people has landed him inside the circles of millions of people around the country and the world.

Butker encouraged Kansans to vote for the Value Them Both Amendment that would have restricted abortions in Kansas in 2022. In 2023, he gave a commencement speech to his alma mater telling graduates to “get married and start a family” as an antidote to anxiety.

And famously, or infamously, Butker's commencement speech to Benedictine College graduates in May put him firmly on the map as a face for conservative Catholic values.

He doubled down on his views shortly after the speech.

In his first availability with local media since helping the Chiefs win their second straight Super Bowl, he repeated the same sentiments.

"I stand behind what I said," Butker said about his speech. "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. 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 isn't wrong since applause, cheers and laughter could be heard from the crowd during his speech.

Butker has had "tons of conversation" since the speech with players and other people in the Chiefs building about his speech as well. He wants everyone to strongly state what their opinion is, including himself, no matter who agrees or who it affects.

"I've always been encouraged by people that state their opinions and they're very bold in what their beliefs are. I think that brings people closer together," he said. "In this locker room, we've become very close because guys are extremely open about their beliefs. We are living in a better world if people are open, and they're not afraid to share their viewpoints.

"Seven years in the league, having this platform, I've just decided, you know what, there's things that I believe wholeheartedly that I think will make this world a better place and I'm going to preach that and if people don't agree they don't agree, but I'm going to continue to say what I believe to be true. And love everyone along the way."

A message of love is a stretch from Butker who made a joke about Pride Month in his speech.

“Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it,” Butker said, “but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”

It shouldn't be a surprise that Butker is sticking to his stance. The biggest backlash came from his comments about women in the workforce during his Benedictine speech.

“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said. “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. I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

The comment even sparked jokes from tennis legend Serena Williams. But Butker thinks his comments were misconstrued.

"I think then it gets construed that I'm trying to put women down which I'm not at all. I love women. I love my wife and it comes from a place of love." he said. "My wife had never heard me speak publicly and she was there for that moment and she was up in the background in one of the offices up there, and I was getting emotional, looking at her crying and understanding that she has sacrificed so much for me. She has completely changed her life around and she has made sure she has focused on being the ultimate wife and the ultimate mother, and I love her so much for that.

"And I see how happy and excited she is day to day to wake up and embrace that life and you know, she pushes me to be a better husband and a better father and focus on my three children and focus on her over maybe trying to be the best kicker I can be out on that field."

Butker was also pointed out by Chiefs head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder as the first person to alert them about BJ Thompson's seizure during a special teams meeting in June.

He got emotional seeing Thompson for the first time since the incident at the Chiefs' Super Bowl ring ceremony.

"For whatever reason, I was the person sitting right in front of BJ and I thought maybe, you know, someone was sleeping behind me and I heard a noise but then I felt a kick on the chair and I turned around and BJ wasn't doing well," he said. "I thought, well, I don't have any background in medicine and thankfully, (Harvard alum and defensive end) Truman Jones was next to him who is probably going to be a doctor after this. And thankfully, (long snapper) James Winchester has experienced seizures before and he was able to help assist BJ but I thought the best thing I can do is get a professional to come and assist."

The incident triggered a memory in Butker from an autograph session last year when a woman was also having a medical episode.

"If there's ever a moment where someone is suffering, I'd rather overreact and get more people there to assist than just try to play cool and play calm," he said. "It's amazing that BJ is alive and with us and I'm thankful for that and there were so many guys in that room that assisted him that. A bunch of guys got in a circle and were praying for him and it was just a tough time but again, another thing that I think has brought our team together. So I'm just very thankful for BJ and for all those that that helped him."

That is the complex palette that all humans possess that quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce explained well when first asked about Butker's speech. They don't always agree with his views, but they love and appreciate the man that Butker is.

Butker relayed that appreciation on Wednesday as well. He also received loads of support as well from Chiefs fans, star defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Tavia Hunt, the wife of Chiefs chairman/CEO Clark Hunt.

On the field, some of Butker's most notable kicks include his game-winning field goals in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles and the 2023 AFC Championship against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also set the record for the longest field goal in Super Bowl history with 57 yards and the most field goals in Super Bowl history at nine.

For that, the Chiefs will always welcome him with open arms.

"He's been in huge situations for us and really come through and his consistency has been great," head coach Andy Reid said. "[The contract] won't bother him because he's got that work ethic and he just sticks to it. It won't be a distraction at all. I'm happy for him. Happy for the organization and he's a heck of a football player. Great kicker."

"For me, it's just getting in field goal range for some of these situations," Mahomes said. "It's something that's just fun to have, honestly. Knowing that you don't even have to worry because that guy will knock it through. So I'm glad they were able to get the deal done and he can go out there and just kick field goals."