(LifeSiteNews) — Catholic NFL megastar Harrison Butker has signed a deal with the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs that will make him the highest-paid kicker in league history.
On Monday, Butker, who represented himself in negotiations, agreed to a four-year, $25.6 million extension, with $17.75 million guaranteed. Butker’s contract means he will be with the franchise through the 2028 season. The Chiefs are coming off back-to-back NFL championships.
There’s no place I’d rather be than with the Chiefs, excited to finalize a 4 year extension. To the Heights! pic.twitter.com/geMUZTaNmZ
— Harrison Butker (@buttkicker7) August 5, 2024
While his clutch on-the-field performances have made him one of the most prolific kickers ever to play the game, it is Butker’s off-the-field conduct that is even more admirable.
In recent years, Butker has routinely thanked God after his games, publicly declared his love for and opposition to Pope Francis’ crackdowns on the Latin Mass, and, perhaps most notably, defended traditional gender roles.
During a speech he gave to the graduating class at Benedictine College in Atchinson, Kansas, this past spring, Butker not only encouraged young women to reject the “diabolical lies” of feminism, he also called out Catholic bishops who shut down churches during COVID-19.
Clergy, including Bishop Joseph Strickland and San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, as well as prominent lay persons like former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, rallied to express support for Butker after the massive backlash to his speech. His red number 7 jersey quickly became a best-seller, and a LifeSiteNews petition supporting him garnered more than 20,000 signatures in less than a week after being launched.
At the same time, childless liberal billionaire Alex Soros as well as scores of dissident Catholic public figures and media outlets decried Butker’s pro-family message. Butker remained unfazed. He doubled down just days later while addressing a gala for Regina Caeli Academy, a classical preK-12 homeschool hybrid for Catholic families that he serves on the board of.
“If heaven is our goal, we should embrace our cross, however large or small it may be, and live our life with joy, to be a bold witness for Christ,” he said to massive applause.
BREAKING: In first public remarks since his commencement speech sparked a liberal meltdown, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker makes very clear he’s not backing down from his faith. @buttkicker7 pic.twitter.com/q3Vh0KpvTg
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 25, 2024
Drafted in 2017 from Georgia Tech, Butker, who is married and has two children with his wife Isabella, has won three titles with the Chiefs. In last year’s championship game, he set the record for the longest field goal in a Super Bowl by hitting a 57-yarder. In his seven seasons, his 89.1 percent accuracy rating is the second highest among active players.
Despite nationwide media criticism after the Benedictine speech, Butker’s head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes refused to throw him under the bus. Both of them praised Butker for being “a great person.” What’s more, the wife and daughter of the owner of the Chiefs franchise publicly expressed support for his views as well.
“I believe finding a spouse who loves and honors you as or before himself and raising a family together is one of the greatest blessings this world has to offer,” Tavia Hunt posted on Instagram at the time.
Since this spring, Butker has remained active in defending the truth. After the blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, Butker, quoting Scripture, said on his X account that “God will not be mocked.”
He also pushed back against retired female tennis star Serena Williams after she criticized him during an awards show hosted on ESPN.
“Sports are supposed to be the great unifier and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes,” he said.
The NFL preseason is already under way, and the Chiefs are expected to be one of the most competitive teams in the American Football Conference. They will square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, August 10. The Detroit Lions as well as the San Francisco 49ers are among the top teams in the rival National Football Conference.