The Kansas City Chiefs needed to address their kicking concerns amid Harrison Butker’s struggles over the past two seasons, and they appear to have found a solution. However, their decision to sign former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to the practice squad has not gone down well with many around the league, including NFL analysts and commentators.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Now, Claire McCaskill, who served as a United States senator from Missouri from 2007 to 2019, has also taken a dig at the Chiefs for bringing the controversial kicker into the fold.
“I am embarrassed, disappointed, and really angry that the @Chiefs signed Justin Tucker,” McCaskill wrote on X.
The Chiefs’ decision to sign Tucker to the practice squad drew criticism for a couple of major reasons, including whether Kansas City was willing to overlook serious misconduct allegations against Tucker to improve its kicking situation, and whether head coach Andy Reid adequately addressed those concerns.
The decision came after the Baltimore Banner reported in 2025 that Tucker had been accused of s—-l misconduct by 16 massage therapists at spas. Tucker, meanwhile, denied the allegations and called them “unequivocally false” and “tabloid fodder.” And no criminal charges or civil lawsuits were formally filed against him for the same.
However, the Ravens later released him the same year after Tucker spent 13 seasons with the team, won a Super Bowl, and earned seven Pro Bowl honors. At the same time, the league also suspended Tucker for 10 games during the 2025 season.
Since then, Tucker tried out for multiple teams, including the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts in 2025 and the New York Jets ahead of the 2026 season. However, the Chiefs became the first team to sign him following his 10-game suspension.
But the decision drew backlash, as OutKick’s Craig Carton argued that the Chiefs don’t care about their community.
“Remember what Kansas City is,” Carton said. “A guy like Justin Tucker — 24 different women accused him of inappropriate s—-l misconduct. 24 of them. The NFL doesn’t even like suspending its players, no matter what the crime is. And they suspended him for 10 full games. Like, at some point, let that sink in and then ask yourself the question: Is it really win at all costs? Is that really what Kansas City and the Hunt family should stand for? Is it? Apparently, it is.
“They don’t care about the type of person that wears the Kansas City colors. They just care about it doesn’t matter how bad a guy that guy might be. Can he help me win a football game? I know it’s naïve of me to think otherwise, that any other team doesn’t do it, but Kansas City is the worst at it.”
Kansas City’s decision to sign Justin Tucker came amid Harrison Butker’s struggles. Since the start of the 2025 season, Butker has missed 15 total kicks, including 10 field goals and five extra points. Through the first six games of the season, he has a 68.8% conversion rate, making just 11 of 16 attempts.
Against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, he went 1-of-3 field goal attempts, as the Chiefs could score just 3 total points. After bringing Tucker on the practice squad, however, Coach Reid defended the team’s decision amid Butker’s struggles.
“He’s done his suspension and took care of that business,” Reid said on Wednesday. “I’ll leave it at that. We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can and talk to a lot of people and make sure things are OK.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, echoed the sentiment, citing, “We had a lot of people that we’ve added in and out. I try not to get too high or too low on anything. I know [general manager Brett] Veach [and the front office] do a great job of bringing great players in. But for me, it was about the Denver Broncos and moving on and continuing to get better.”
But as Reid’s comments gained traction, NFL analyst Sam Monson acknowledged that Reid’s comments fell short, saying:
“I understand there’s no great answer to that question, but ‘He’s done his suspension, took care of that business there. I’ll leave it at that’ is a TERRIBLE answer.”
The Chiefs just had the first loss of the 2026 season, falling to the Seahawks 20-3 on Sunday. The team will now face the Denver Broncos in Week 8 after dominating the headlines for a controversial signing.