New Chiefs signee Justin Tucker had the chance to serve his purpose against the New York Jets. Harrison Butker missed two consecutive field goals, which potentially set the stage for Tucker’s return. However, the Chiefs had him warm the bench instead, leading J.J. Watt to scrutinize the move.
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“We talked about it last week ad nauseam, the distraction of bringing him in and the allegations and everything,” J.J. Watt said on air, as per NFL insider James Palmer. “I don’t know why you bring him in and invite those distractions if you’re not going to make that change.”
Just before halftime, Butker attempted a 56-yard field goal, which was no good. The Chiefs breathed a sigh of relief when the officials put a five-yard penalty on Malik McClain for defensive offside. With the drive still alive, Butker attempted a 51-yard field goal, only to send it the same way as the previous attempt: to the right of the post.
Harrison Butker has now missed seven field goals this season, a problem that cannot be swept under the rug. The Chiefs also made the bold move to add former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their roster, who had been released after the 2024 season following allegations of sexual misconduct. They went ahead with it despite the criticism that would follow.
“Bringing on somebody who has allegations like this against them sends a message to all of those people that it’s more important to have this person on the team than it is to believe and support survivors,” Julie Donelon, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, told KSNW.
Tucker has also not played for a full year since he was released by the Ravens.
According to head coach Andy Reid, Tucker had already served his suspension, so it was all good.
“[To] bring him in here, I did some homework,” he’d said. “I’m not going to get into all that, but I mean, he’s here, and he’s on the practice squad. So we roll with it.”
But if he is to warm the bench instead of doing the very job he was signed up for, it does create a confusing situation.
Like Butker, Justin Tucker was also a pretty accurate kicker in his prime. Save for the 2024 season, Tucker never recorded a season with less than an 82% field goal accuracy. In 2023, he made 32 of his 37 field goal attempts.
Even Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was aware of the situation. He knew that the media would question him about making the change. But it will likely happen in the coming week.
“I’ll address that as we go throughout the week,” Reid told the media after the game. “I’ll look at everything. I’m not making any decisions right now today.”
Butker has been with the Chiefs since 2017. Many would expect him to ace his kicking game as a veteran. However, except for the season opener against Denver and the Las Vegas games, Butker has missed field goals. He missed a crucial one in the Week 8 game against the Broncos.
“I try to be my best on every single kick, and unfortunately, those 50-plus-yarders aren’t going in,” Butker told reporters after Sunday’s game. “But I feel confident. I’m excited for the kicks, and I just have to do better.
Butker, including today’s two missed attempts, has now failed on six such attempts out of the eight total he has made so far into the season. But he apparently has “a ton” of confidence from the coaching staff.
“They’ve seen what I’ve done in my 10 seasons, and they want me to be my best. They know who I can be… I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful to be in this position, and I love kicking footballs. I just have to make them go in.”
The 35-12 win masked Butker’s shortfall. But the boos at Arrowhead Stadium are proof that the Chiefs’ fans are starting to lose their patience. As J.J. Watt noted, it might be high time for Reid to bring in Tucker to ensure successful field goals in the future.