The Kansas City Chiefs offseason has been full of controversial headlines so far. Between the Rashee Rice and Harrison Butker drama, the fanbase has been starving for good news since the squad hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February.
That day has finally come, as the White House announced Friday that the Chiefs will visit on Friday, May 31st, via NBC Sports. This will be the team's second visit in just as many years, as they also won it all last season.
This will be a welcome distraction for the organization, as Rice faces eight charges for an alleged hit-and-run on a Dallas highway. Head coach Andy Reid and superstar signal-caller Patrick Mahomes both addressed the issue on Wednesday, via SB Nation's Ricko Mendoza.
“We keep open communication there, for sure,” Reid said. “And then we just let the process play its way out, there.”
The former Philadelphia Eagles coach explained that the organization does its best to guide its players, but it can't always save them from trouble.
“Obviously, you have to stay in touch with them — and communicate with them — before they leave [the facility],” he continued. ”You make sure they take care of business. But sometimes things happen — and then you’ve got to work through that.”
Mahomes acknowledged the magnitude of Rice's errors and mentioned that he'll try to mentor him moving forward.
“It’s just trying to do whatever we can to teach him how to learn from his mistakes,” said Mahomes. “Obviously, that was a big mistake. You’ve got to learn from it to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and try to do whatever you can to be the best person you can be in society — not only for yourself but for the people around you.
Additionally, Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College in Atchinson, Kansas caused a stir online. The kicker expressed his disdain for abortion, Pride Month, and championed women focusing on homemaking rather than being in the workplace. He also chastised the Biden administration's handling of COVID-19.
Will Butker attend the ceremony?
It wouldn't be a surprise if Butker skipped this Chiefs outing
There's historical precedence for conservative players not attending their team's White House Super Bowl ceremony with a Democratic administration in office. In 2012, Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk skipped their Washington D.C. trip due to Barack Obama's pro-abortion stance.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce weighed in on Butker's beliefs, saying while he loves him as a teammate, he doesn't agree with his views, via his New Heights podcast.
“I can’t say I agree with the majority of it, or just about any of it, outside of just him loving his family and his kids,” Kelce said. “I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races and ethnicities, in Cleveland Heights … It showed me a broad spectrum, or just a broad view of a lot of different walks of life. I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons, and I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them based off of their beliefs.”
If Butker doesn't attend, it may cause even more headaches for the organization, as the controversy would grow even further.
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