Two months after giving a brave and memorable commencement speech at Benedictine College, NFL kicker Harrison Butker is still getting under people’s skin. The latest furor came after it was announced that he signed a lucrative contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Butker signed a massive four-year contract worth $25.6 million, including $17.75 million guaranteed. It is the richest deal for a kicker in NFL history. The fact that this kicker was the pro-family, pro-morality, and pro-religion Butker peeved many people, including former ESPN chatterbox Trey Wingo. The former sports network host lamented Butker’s new deal, citing it as an example of the NFL “putting up” with players simply because they perform exceedingly well on the field.

“The Harrison Butker extension… making him the highest paid kicker….underscores the inherent truth of the NFL: the better you are at the job, the more a team is willing to put up with pure and simple,” Wingo posted.

Wingo’s statement is senseless, however. It’s indicative of the faux outrage and hyperbolic hysteria that is all too common among left-wingers when discussing people who express ideas or viewpoints that run counter to their preferred sociocultural orthodoxy. Butker said or did nothing wrong. He gave a commencement speech highlighting the joys of starting families and having children. It is nothing to vilify, and it certainly does not require any necessary “putting up with.”

Furthermore, suppose there ever were an example of an NFL team “putting up” with a player’s antics and keeping him on the team. In that case, some players committed serious crimes, served time in jail, or did other egregious acts that much better exemplify an NFL team “putting up” with someone. For example, consider former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick, a one-time superstar for the Atlanta Falcons, was involved in an illegal interstate dog-fighting operation. He served nearly two years in prison. After his release from prison, and after admitting his involvement in harming dogs, Vick later signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are plenty of other examples, including players such as Adrian Peterson and Tyreek Hill, the latter of whom received one of the richest contracts in NFL history, even with off-the-field legal problems. However, none of these players ever gave a speech encouraging female college graduates to start a family. Yet to people such as Wingo, that appears to be a far greater sin that should be unworthy of NFL forgiveness.

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Comments such as Wingo’s reflect the toxic nature of many on the Left. They have an innate desire to suppress anyone who disagrees with their ideological views and principles. They tried to do it again with Butker. But Butker and the Chiefs stood tall against the mob calling for retribution.

Wingo and his ideological allies’ left-wing attempt to silence Butker was unsuccessful. Others going through similar circumstances should take note.