Claim Harrison Butker turned down Nike began as satire | Fact check

A Sept. 11 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker along with images of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. 
“Harrison Butker Declines Nike Deal: ‘I Won’t Support That Clown Kaepernick’s Allies!’” reads text in the image.
The Facebook post’s caption states, “NFL kicker Harrison Butker has ignited a firestorm with his outspoken refusal to endorse Nike, slamming the brand for its unwavering support of Colin Kaepernick. ‘Still backing that Kaepernick clown? Absolutely not,’ Butker declared, sending shockwaves through the sports world and sparking intense debate.”
The post was shared more than 200 times in about two weeks.
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The claim originated from a satirical social media account. There is no credible evidence that Butker made the statement attributed to him.
Kaepernick signed an endorsement deal with Nike in 2011 when he was a quarterback for the San Franciso 49ers. The company continued to partner with him after he began protesting racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games. He last played in the NFL in 2016.
Butker, who currently plays in the NFL, made waves with a commencement speech he gave at Benedictine College in May that addressed the LGBTQ+ community, gender roles and the COVID-19 pandemic.
But there is no evidence the kicker declined a deal with Nike over its ongoing support of Kaepernick. There are no credible news reports about such a development. Butker’s social media accounts and website likewise contain nothing in line with the claim in the Facebook post.
Notably, Butker also wears Nike cleats. Multiple photos from this season show him wearing Nike cleats.
The earliest version of the claim appears to come from a Facebook page called Strong Community, which identifies itself as a “satirical platform.” It posted the same claim about Butker and Kaepernick along with the false Butker quotes on May 17, days after Butker gave his speech at Benedictine College.
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However, the image used in the other Sept. 11 Facebook page does not include any satire disclaimer.
It’s an example of what could be called “stolen satire,” where claims written as satire and presented that way originally are reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here. 
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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