Taylor Swift gave the NFL brand a boost. Will a kicker’s offensive speech throw it all away?

The Chiefs kicker’s viral commencement speech upset many people. A lot is riding on how the NFL deals with the fallout.

If Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker set out to offend as many people as possible with his recent commencement speech, he succeeded wildly. During the 20-minute speech at Benedictine College on May 11, he railed against reproductive rights, DEI, women in the workplace, the LGBTQ community, COVID protocols, the current president, and as if all that weren’t enough—he referred to Taylor Swift as “my teammate’s girlfriend,” before quoting her.