Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sold more NFL merchandise than Travis Kelce in the wake of his controversial commencement speech earlier this year, it has been revealed.
Butker sparked outrage with his address to graduates at Benedictine College in Kansas, where he told the women in the room that they should be more excited about becoming stay-at-home mothers than pursuing successful careers.
His contentious speech also included criticism of the LGBTQ+ community and President Joe Biden‘s pro-abortion stance, which divided opinion throughout America back in May – with thousands signing a petition for Kansas City to rip up his contract with the team.
And incredibly, the Chiefs star caused such a stir that he outsold high-profile teammate Kelce in the NFL merch charts earlier this year.
Harrison Butker (left) sold more NFL merchandise than Travis Kelce in the wake of his controversial commencement speech earlier this year
The NFL Players Association has released a list of the 20 players who brought in the most sales from the start of March up until the end of May, and Butker finds himself up in 11th place.
Kelce, meanwhile, has to settle for 12th despite soaring in fame over the past year amid his whirlwind romance with Taylor Swift.
On the back of his well-publicized speech, Butker even managed to flog more merch than star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (13th), Josh Allen (16th) and Russell Wilson (18th).
In a huge shock, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud sits top of the list above Chiefs icon Patrick Mahomes in second, 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) make up the rest of the top 10.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love sits 14th in the list, with Jets receiver Garrett Wilson at 15th.
Butker caused such a stir that he outsold his high-profile teammate in official merchandise
Kelce was not as popular a choice for buyers despite his romance with Taylor Swift
Wilson’s New York teammate Sauce Gardner is 17th, with Lions quarterback Jared Goff 19th and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby 20th.
Butker has enjoyed a spike in popularity on the back of his Benedictine College appearance back in May, which came a couple of months after he helped the Chiefs win a second straight Super Bowl.
He has also played a part in their flawless start to the new season after kicking a last-gasp field goal to snatch victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week.
Despite being cheered on by Swift in the stands, Kelce has failed to hit form so far in the 2024 season, recording just four receptions for 39 yards in two appearances.
