Harrison Butker has built a reputation as one of the NFL’s most dependable kickers during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. But that reliability has been missing in recent weeks. His struggles reached another low point against the New York Jets on November 8, when he missed two consecutive field-goal attempts late in the first half. The second miss drew loud boos from the Arrowhead Stadium crowd as he headed toward the locker room.
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The numbers explain why the frustration has been growing. Butker has converted just 12 of his 19 field-goal attempts through eight games, leaving him with seven misses, the most by any kicker in the league this season. He has also missed at least one field goal in four consecutive games. The situation became even more complicated when the Chiefs brought in another high-profile name, signing former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to its practice squad on October 28.
Despite the mounting criticism and the presence of a potential replacement, head coach Andy Reid has decided to give Butker another opportunity. Speaking to reporters on November 11, Reid confirmed that the veteran would remain the Chiefs’ kicker for its upcoming road game against the Atlanta Falcons.
“As far as the kicking part goes, I’m going to stick with Butker this week, and we’ll go from there,” Reid said.
The Chiefs’ head coach also reflected on Butker’s contributions during his time in Kansas City.
“Harrison has done such a great job for us over time. Sometimes you go through these little peaks and valleys. I’m going to give him a chance to work through them, and we’ll see how things go.”
Butker’s latest setback against the New York Jets came in particularly frustrating circumstances. With seven seconds remaining in the first half, he missed a 56-yard field-goal attempt. However, a defensive offside penalty against New York nullified the play and gave the Chiefs another opportunity from five yards closer. Butker’s 51-yard retry sailed wide right, and the home crowd made its displeasure clear.
Butker acknowledged that his recent performances had fallen short of expectations but insisted that his confidence remained intact. Speaking after the game, the Chiefs kicker admitted he needed to deliver better results.
“I try to be my best on every single kick, and unfortunately, those 50-plus-yarders aren’t going in. But I feel confident. I’m excited for the kicks, and I just have to do better.”
The miss also extended a difficult run that began earlier in the season. Butker failed to convert a field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, though he made three other field goals and missed two against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 and added another miss against the Denver Broncos in Week 8. The Chiefs lost that Broncos game 28-24, with Butker missing a 54-yard attempt.
The Chiefs’ decision to bring in Tucker made Butker’s position even more closely scrutinized. A five-time first-team All-Pro, Tucker has converted 89.1% of his career field-goal attempts, the second-highest rate in NFL history. He spent 13 seasons with Baltimore before the Ravens released him in 2025.
Tucker has not appeared in an NFL game since the 2024 season. In June 2025, the NFL announced that he would be suspended without pay for the first 10 weeks of that season for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy. The league’s investigation followed allegations made by 16 massage therapists from eight Baltimore-area spas, who accused Tucker of improper conduct during massage sessions between 2012 and 2016. Tucker, however, denied the allegations.
For now, however, the Chiefs are sticking with Butker. The 31-year-old has been part of all three of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl-winning rosters, and Reid’s decision gives him another chance to demonstrate that he can return to his previous level.
But the situation is not necessarily settled beyond this week. Reid’s “we’ll go from there” comment leaves the door open for further evaluation, while Tucker remains on the practice squad as an alternative. Butker will have the opportunity to respond when the Chiefs travel to face the Falcons on November 15.