The Kansas City Chiefs have added a familiar name to their kicking room, but Justin Tucker’s arrival brings questions that extend beyond football. As Harrison Butker struggles to convert field goals, Kansas City has signed the former Baltimore Ravens kicker to its practice squad. However, Tucker’s return to the NFL has renewed scrutiny over the allegations that followed him out of Baltimore.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“He’s done his suspension. Took care of that business there. I’ll leave it at that for you,” Reid told reporters when asked about the signing and what message the signing sent to female fans.
A lot of questions were asked to Reid during Wednesday’s presser, and most of them were connected to the Chiefs signing Tucker. The questions stem from allegations reported by The Baltimore Banner in 2025. Sixteen massage therapists from eight Baltimore-area spas accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior during sessions between 2012 and 2016. Tucker has denied the allegations, and no legal case was filed against him.
The NFL later suspended him for the first 10 games of the 2025 season for violating its personal conduct policy. He accepted the suspension without appealing and served the full 10 games while unsigned.
Ravens waived Tucker in May 2025 after 13 seasons with the team. He has made 89.1% of his field-goal attempts over his career, but his numbers dropped in his final season in Baltimore. In 2024, he made just 22 of 30 attempts, giving him a career-low success rate of 73.3%.
Kansas City’s signing comes as Butker faces pressure to improve. He has made 11 of 16 field-goal attempts through six games this season and missed an extra point. In the Chiefs’ 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, he missed from 58 and 45 yards.
Reid acknowledged that the team needed more security at the position. Asked whether ownership influenced the decision, he said the organization had consulted people before bringing Tucker in, but refused to disclose details of its checks.
“We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can and talk to a lot of people to make sure things are okay,” Reid said.
He later explained that his assessment considered what had happened since the allegations emerged, the suspension and the time that had passed. When reporters asked Reid for more details about the research, he chose not to say much. He simply pointed out that Tucker was now on the practice squad.
The Chiefs also looked at Tucker’s performance on the field before making their decision. Kansas City worked out three kickers, and NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Tucker made all 30 of his attempts during the workout. That performance offered the Chiefs a reason to take a closer look at a kicker who has not played in an NFL game since the 2024 season.
Still, Tucker is not immediately replacing Butker. Reid said Butker would probably kick against the Denver Broncos on Sunday and would receive most of the practice reps this week. The coach also defended his incumbent kicker while acknowledging his recent struggles.
“We love Harrison. He’s one of my favorite guys,” Reid said. “He’s struggled a little bit, and he gets it. He needs to pick it up here a little bit.”
For now, Tucker’s practice-squad place gives Kansas City another option while Butker works to regain consistency.