Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has sold more NFL merchandise than Travis Kelce following his controversial graduation speech earlier this year, it has been revealed.
Butker caused outrage with his speech to graduates of Benedictine College in Kansas, telling the women in the audience to be more excited about the idea of being a stay-at-home mom than about pursuing a successful career.
His controversial speech also included criticism of the LGBTQ+ community and President Joe Biden’s pro-abortion stance, dividing opinion across America in May, as thousands signed a petition calling on Kansas City to tear up its contract with the team.
And what’s incredible is that the Chiefs star player caused such a stir that he surpassed his famous teammate Kelce in the NFL merchandise charts earlier this year.
Harrison Butker (left) sold more NFL merchandise than Travis Kelce after his controversial graduation speech earlier this year
The NFL Players Association has published a list of the 20 players who generated the most sales from early March to late May. Butker is in 11th place.
Kelce has to settle for twelfth place, despite his enormous fame over the past year thanks to his whirlwind romance with Taylor Swift.
Thanks to his much-discussed speech, Butker even managed to sell more merchandise than star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (13th), Josh Allen (16th) and Russell Wilson (18th).
In a surprise move, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud tops the list, ahead of Chiefs icon Patrick Mahomes in second place, despite only entering his second season in the NFL.
Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions), Amon-Ra St Brown (Detroit Lions), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles), Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions), Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys) ) and Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers) complete the top 10.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ranks 14th on the list, with Jets receiver Garrett Wilson coming in at 15th.
Butker caused such a stir that he outsold his famous teammate in official merchandise
Kelce wasn’t such a popular choice for buyers, despite his romance with Taylor Swift
Wilson’s New York teammate Sauce Gardner is ranked 17th, Lions quarterback Jared Goff is ranked 19th and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is ranked 20th.
Butker has regained popularity since his performance for Benedictine College in May, a few months after he helped the Chiefs win their second straight Super Bowl.
He also played a role in their flawless start to the new season, scoring a field goal in the final minutes last week to seal a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite Swift cheering him on in the stands, Kelce has yet to find form heading into the 2024 season, catching just four times for 39 yards in two appearances.