Chiefs coach defends keeping Harrison Butker in starting role
Kansas City's kicker missed a 54-yard attempt against Denver, marking his third error in two weeks.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Head coach Andy Reid stated that the decision to trust Harrison Butker remains intact despite recent on-field errors.
Reid defended the choice to send Butker out for a 54-yard field goal attempt during Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. The miss allowed Denver to score a winning touchdown, erasing a three-point lead for Kansas City. The play occurred after Patrick Mahomes was sacked for six yards, moving the ball from the 30-yard line to the 24-yard line and extending the required distance for the kick.
Butker's performance over the last two weeks has drawn scrutiny from the coaching staff and observers. He missed three field goals in that span, including the 54-yarder that went wide to the right against Denver. The team's handling of the kicking unit has shifted recently, as Kansas City added former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to the practice squad earlier this week.
Reid acknowledged the outcome but maintained that the distance fell within Butker's historical capabilities. "Those are hindsight. It ended up being what it was," Reid told FOX 4 Kansas City. "But it's within Harrison's range." This comment came after the Chiefs' previous loss to the Seattle Seahawks, where Butker also failed to convert on multiple attempts.
The statistical decline in Butker's long-range accuracy provides context for the ongoing debate. Through the 2023 season, he converted 89.1% of his field goal attempts and made 28 of 40 from beyond 50 yards. Since then, his overall conversion rate has dropped to 82.2%, and his success rate from over 50 yards has fallen to 44.4%, or 8 of 18. In the current season, he has made just one of five attempts from that distance.
The addition of Tucker to the practice squad signals a potential shift in depth. Tucker had been out of the league since 2024 following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, which were first reported by The Baltimore Banner. The Chiefs have not yet announced a change in their starting kicker, leaving Butker in place for now while the team evaluates its options.
