While it’s not often that an NFL kicker becomes a household name, Kansas City’s Harrison Butker may have achieved that status.
Butker, a former seventh-round pick, has spent the entirety of his NFL career with the Chiefs, playing his part for three Super Bowl winners. Ahead of his eighth season, Butker saw an unprecedented spike in NFL jersey sales as he neared the top 10 alongside some of the league’s biggest stars.
Impressive as Butker has been on the field, this increase in merchandise sales coincides with a controversial commencement speech he delivered at Benedictine College, a private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kan. The timing of things suggests a correlation between the speech and the spike in sales.
Here is more on where Butker’s jersey ranks among the most popular in the NFL and the commencement speech he delivered last Spring.
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Butker ranked 11th on the NFLPA top 50 sales list, which tracked sales of officially licensed NFL merchandise from March 1 to May 31, 2024.
Butker ranked one spot below 49ers QB Brock Purdy and one spot ahead of teammate Travis Kelce. As noted by the NFLPA, Butker is only the second placekicker to ever appear on the list, following Evan McPherson, who reached the top 50 in 2022.
Here is a look at the top 20 that was released on Sept. 17:
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team |
| 1. | C.J. Stroud | QB | Texans |
| 2. | Patrick Mahomes | QB | Chiefs |
| 3. | Aidan Hutchinson | DE | Lions |
| 4. | Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | Lions |
| 5. | Joe Burrow | QB | Bengals |
| 6. | Jalen Hurts | QB | Eagles |
| 7. | Saquon Barkley | RB | Eagles |
| 8. | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Lions |
| 9. | Micah Parsons | LB | Cowboys |
| 10. | Brock Purdy | QB | 49ers |
| 11. | Harrison Butker | K | Chiefs |
| 12. | Travis Kelce | TE | Chiefs |
| 13. | Aaron Rodgers | QB | Jets |
| 14. | Jordan Love | QB | Packers |
| 15. | Garrett Wilson | WR | Jets |
| 16. | Josh Allen | QB | Bills |
| 17. | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jets |
| 18. | Russell Wilson | QB | Steelers |
| 19. | Jared Goff | QB | Lions |
| 20. | Maxx Crosby | DE | Raiders |
It is also worth noting that Butker lands behind three players from the Lions, who unveiled new uniforms for the 2024 season, as well as the Eagles’ duo of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. In addition to Barkley joining a new team this offseason, Philadelphia made tweaks to its jerseys ahead of the new season.
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Within Butker’s commencement speech were controversial comments about LGBTQ+ Pride month, diversity, equity and inclusion, and some pointed words regarding the career options facing the women graduating from Benedictine.
“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical 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.”
Butker received pushback following his speech, including notable teammates Mahomes and Kelce disagreeing with his views. He also experienced support from other groups, including Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
In response to the address, NFL SVP and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Jonathan Beane has issued a statement saying that “[Butker’s] views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
Butker delivered the commencement speech on May 11, 2024, meaning if there was a correlation to the jersey sales spike, it happened over three weeks, as tracking ended on May 31.
