NFL commissioner Roger Goodell shares thoughts on speech by Chiefs’ Harrison Butker

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes weren’t the only ones asked Wednesday about kicker Harrison Butker’s viral commencement speech at Benedictine College.

The NFL wrapped up its spring meetings in Nashville with commissioner Roger Goodell holding a news conference. The last question for Goodell was about Butker’s speech.

“Listen, we have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league,” Goodell said. “They have a diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. I think that’s something we treasure and that’s part of I think what ultimately makes us as a society better. But we are not going to go much beyond that statement we made last week.”

Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president, chief diversity and inclusion officer, said last week that Butker’s “views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”

An 18-game schedule

Goodell also was asked about the possibility of the NFL expanding to an 18-game season. He said it is something the league is considering but said there are three things the NFL must consider before making that change.

“The key thing for us is looking at making sure we continue to do the things that make our game safer,” Goodell said. “So we want to make sure that hits the first boundary. Seventeen games is a long season, so we want to make sure we look at that and make sure that we continue the safety efforts.”

Goodell said the NFL also would work with the players’ association before adding a regular-season game while taking away a preseason contest.

“We would reach an agreement with them if we’re going to proceed on that,” Goodell said. “But also, third, and this is not necessarily in order, is the quality of our game. We would do it in the context of reducing the number of preseason games. We think that’s a good trade, less preseason games and more regular-season games. I think most anybody would think that was beneficial. But again those other two factors are really important.”