Harrison Butker may be walking a very thin line as Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have signed Justin Tucker to the practice squad. Coming off yet another head-scratching performance in the 2026 NFL season, Butker may not have much time left on the hourglass before the Chiefs finally move on from their veteran kicker. Butker has already received a wake-up call from Reid and Kansas City, but that didn’t help him in the 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Playing at Mile High, where kickers usually thrive thanks to the altitude at Empower Field, Butker missed a critical 54-yard field goal late in the game that practically served the game up to the Broncos on a silver platter.
Instead of throwing his three-time Super Bowl champion under the bus and serving up a piece of red meat for NFL media and fans to devour, Reid spared Butker. However, it may be a case of Reid knowing better than to air the Chiefs‘ dirty laundry in public.
Reid defends Butker after missed FG
“I know Butker’s the topic. I could kind of see what he saw. He ended up going too far right but I see why he went right, too,” Reid admitted during a virtual interview after Week 8’s loss.
Justin Tucker while playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
“But when you have a heavy overload and penetration on the left side that’s going to alter a kicker. That’s just what you do as a kicker. It just went a little too wide. We’ve got to do a better job in the protection there.“
Chiefs may change kickers soon
With Tucker waiting on the practice squad, it may not be much longer before Kansas City makes a change at the kicker position. The Chiefs have now lost two games in a row in the 2026 NFL season to true Super Bowl contenders, and it’s clear their issues extend far beyond the kicker position. Still, replacing Butker might be the easiest problem for them to address right now.
Unless the Chiefs want to honor their longtime kicker, it’s clear something must change. Butker is far from his vintage form, and his numbers rank among the worst in the league. He’s not in an easy position. He knows the pressure is mounting, and Kansas City signing a veteran with seven Pro Bowl appearances under his belt doesn’t make things any easier.
Butker’s numbers in 2026
However, kickers must be mentally tough, and it’s clear Butker is struggling under pressure right now. So far in the 2026 NFL season, Butker has made 12 of 18 field goal attempts (66.7%), including an abysmal 2-for-7 mark on attempts from 50-plus yards.
Key takeaways
- Justin Tucker signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, putting pressure on Harrison Butker.
- A 54-yard field goal was missed by Harrison Butker late against the Denver Broncos.
- A 66.7% conversion rate marks Harrison Butker making 12 of 18 field goals in 2026.
