Harrison Butker gave the Kansas City Chiefs a spectacular moment against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night, then experienced one of the more frustrating turns a kicker can have in the same game. Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal, only to later miss an extra point after a penalty pushed the attempt back.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Cruel fate that on a night where Harrison Butker hits a 69-yard field goal that a Jared Wiley penalty sets up a 43-yard PAT that Butker doinks off the upright. Great thing: it’s the preseason so nothing matters,” Kansas City Star’s Matt Derrick wrote.
The Chiefs had already seen Butker land 45- and 58-yard field goals before giving him the chance to try from 69 yards. With only three seconds remaining in the first half, Butker stepped up from 69 yards and sent the kick through the uprights, adding three more points to Kansas City’s lead. The make showed just how much distance he could get on his kicks, and it is the longest he’s ever gone in his career so far.
The impressive kick became even more notable because of what happened later. Kansas City eventually found the end zone at the end of the third quarter, but missed the 42-yard PAT after a rushing touchdown.
The PAT wasn’t Butker’s only miss of the night. Before this attempt, he also failed to convert a 43-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter, finishing the game 3-for-4 on field goals while missing his lone extra-point attempt. That gave him two misses on the night after he had started perfectly on his first three field-goal tries.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid didn’t appear overly concerned about the misses. Speaking after the game, Reid backed his kicker and made it clear he expects Butker to respond the way he has throughout his career.
“I trust him. That happens. He’ll learn from it and move on. He’s made enough of the big ones for us… He’s just got to make it. He’ll make an adjustment there.” Reid said.
By the way, Butker’s historic 69-yard field goal should technically be the longest field goal made in the NFL. However, the feat won’t count in the record books because this is the preseason. The record currently belongs to Cam Little, who kicked a 68-yard field goal.
The game also gave Kansas City opportunities to evaluate several players beyond Butker. One of the Chiefs’ scoring plays came from rookie running back Emmett Johnson, who found the end zone on a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
Tampa Bay eventually came away with a 16-15 victory. This was Kansas City’s second preseason game, following a 20-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in its opener. Tampa Bay also entered its second exhibition after beating the New York Jets 24-16 in Week 1.
It’s safe to say Butker’s missed attempts could have made a difference.
For the Chiefs, the focus now shifts to the final stages of the preseason with the Seahawks game on August 28 and getting the roster ready for the regular season. The loss in Tampa won’t follow them into September, but the performances and mistakes can still help shape what comes next.