Petition for NFL star Harrison Butker to be fired gains 70,000 signatures following college graduation speech

Following the graduation speech made at a private college in Kansas, a petition on Change.org demanding for the NFL star and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker to be released from the team has gained 70,000 signatures.

Butker, 28, delivered the speech last week at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, in which he said that the women receiving their degrees were probably more excited about getting married, having children and staying at home to raise them, rather than establishing their careers. The kicker, who is an outspoken Catholic and married father-of-two, then went on to attack Pride month - which will be celebrated in June - and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.

However, the three-time Super Bowl champion has now been the recipient of a petition which saw 25,000 people signing it on Wednesday alone with the goal to end his seven-year stint with the Chiefs. The petition’s projected goal had been 50,000 signatures but it has now surged to 70,000.

The petition’s description noted that: “The harmful remarks made by Harrison Butker, kicker of the Kansas City Chiefs, during his commencement address at Benedictine College were unacceptable. His comments were sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist. These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights.

“These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress. They create a toxic environment that hinders our collective efforts towards equality, diversity and inclusion in society. It is unacceptable for such a public figure to use their platform to foster harm rather than unity. 

“It's important to note that these types of discriminatory attitudes contribute significantly towards societal issues such as hate crimes which have been on the rise in recent years (source: FBI Hate Crime Statistics). Furthermore, they can lead to increased mental health issues among targeted communities (source: American Psychological Association).

“We demand accountability from our sports figures who should be role models promoting respect for all people regardless of their race, gender identity or sexual orientation. We call upon the Kansas City Chiefs management to dismiss Harrison Butker immediately for his inappropriate conduct.”

Butker was the 2017 seventh-round pick from Georgia Tech. Initially signing with Carolina Panthers on a four-year contract, Butker was then signed by the Chiefs off the Panthers’ practice squad making his debut in week 4.

He has fast become one of the NFL’s best kickers and broke the Chiefs’ franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2022. The 28-year-old went on to help the franchise win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020 and again in 2023 before kicking the field goal that forced overtime in February’s Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers. Butker also holds the NFL records for both the longest made field goal in a Super Bowl (57-yards) as well as most career field goals in the Super Bowl (9).

The Chiefs franchise also include Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and recently signed the former Welsh Rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit to their summer training squad where the Six Nations star is now learning his role of running back.