NFL fans have taken aim at longtime commentator Rich Eisen after a pointed remark during Friday night’s season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The moment came in the third quarter after Patrick Mahomes rushed for the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the game, cutting the Los Angeles Chargers’ lead to one point.
But when Harrison Butker’s extra point attempt drifted wide of the right upright, Eisen offered a line that sparked instant backlash.
‘Harrison Butker, interestingly enough, is wide right,’ Eisen said on the NFL Network broadcast. On the surface, it was a straightforward description of the missed kick.
But fans quickly pointed to the apparent double meaning – referencing Butker’s conservative views and vocal support for Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign.
One fan wrote on X: ‘Wow, Rich Eisen threw shade at Butker big time. Pretty unprofessional man’
NFL fans have taken aim at commentator Rich Eisen after a remark about Harrison Butker
Eisen said that Butker – a vocal supporter of Donald Trump – had kicked ‘wide right’
Another said: ‘Wow good one Rich! Looking forward to a wide left joke that will never happen in a million years, or better yet, leaving politics out of a broadcast and just letting people watch a football game’.
Butker, a devout Catholic, has spoken publicly about his pro-life beliefs, telling Fox News last year: ‘I’m supporting the president that’s going to be the most pro-life president, and I think Donald Trump is the most pro-life president’.
Butker also made headlines recently after claiming he still stands by his controversial commencement speech – a year on from the outrage it sparked.
As well as appearing to condemn then-president Joe Biden’s pro-abortion stance and the LGBTQ + community, the NFL star divided opinion by suggesting women should prioritize being stay-at-home mothers over careers of their own.
A number of fans and high-profile figures expressed anger over the remarks, with a petition for the Chiefs to cut him from their roster eventually receiving almost 250,000 signatures.
Even some of his teammates, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, publicly admitted they do not share the same views as their outspoken colleague.
Yet despite the backlash that followed, Butker said – earlier this year – that he had no regrets over the speech.
Eisen, centre, came under fire for the comment during the Chiefs’ season-opening game
Chiefs kicker Butker stands by his controversial commencement speech last year
‘God has given me this platform and I’m going to say what I believe to be true and what I hold close to my heart,’ he said on the opening night of Super Bowl week in New Orleans.
‘Anything that comes, I’m blessed to be on the Chiefs and be in another Super Bowl.’
While they distanced themselves from his opinions, Butker still received support from the likes of Kelce and Mahomes, along with Kansas City head coach Andy Reid.
All three defended the Chiefs kicker despite the fact they do not hold the same opinions.
