Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has received considerable heat following his controversial commencement address at Benedictine College.
Though amid all the backlash, his jersey has become one of the highest-selling in the NFL . As of Friday afternoon, several major websites had completely sold out of Butker jerseys in all women’s sizes. On Fanatics , his No. 7 jersey is the top selling piece of Chiefs merchandise, beating out other star players such as quarterback Patrick Mahomes , tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Butker’s jersey additionally ranks as one of the top-selling jerseys across the entire league, trailing only New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud , Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on Fanatics (at time of writing).
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According to KCTV , a news station based in Kansas City, Butker’s jerseys are also flying off the shelves at local stores. By Thursday, one business owner revealed they had completely sold out of the kicker’s threads.
“My first two phone calls were about jerseys, t-shirts, jerseys, anything we had Butker-wise,” said Aaron Lewis, the store manager at Rally House. “He has sold more than Kelce and Mahomes today - just the demand after the speech, it’s been men and women. It’s been both calling to get his jersey.”
On the heels of Butker’s speech, during which the three-time Super Bowl champion discussed his Catholic faith while embracing several sexist tropes and perceived gender roles, the NFL issued an official statement insisting his beliefs were not shared by the league.
"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 on Wednesday. "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."
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Many fans have implored the Chiefs to part ways with Butker due to his divisive address. A petition calling for the 28-year-old to be removed from Kansas City’s roster is closing in on 200,000 signatures.
Others commended Butker for his remarks, including Missouri senator Josh Hawley (R). “We need a different generation of kids that are willing to say no that’s not right, there is such a thing as right and wrong,” he told Spectrum News . “I just thought that his calls for folks to stand up and be bold was great.”
Las Saturday, Butker encouraged the female graduates at Benedictine College to embrace the role of “homemaker.”
"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment," he began. "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.
“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," he continued. “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.
“I’m on this stage today, able to be the man that I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.”
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