The Kansas City Chiefs are sticking with kicker Harrison Butker for their upcoming road game against the Denver Broncos despite ongoing field goal struggles that turned disastrous in Week 7. Head coach Andy Reid stated that Butker will likely keep his role for Week 8, while special teams coordinator Dave Toub strongly confirmed that Butker remains the team’s primary kicker.
Recent Struggles and Roster Move
As reported by CBS Sports Headlines, Butker missed two field goal attempts during last week’s 20-3 defeat against the Seattle Seahawks, bringing his season record to 11-for-16. His current 68.8% conversion rate marks the lowest of his career. These missed kicks led the franchise to evaluate outside options, bringing three candidates in for workouts before signing free agent Justin Tucker to the practice squad. However, the eight-time All-Pro will not handle kicking duties against the Broncos.
Toub explained that the team’s goal is to support and fix Butker, noting that the kicker successfully converted all ten of his field goal attempts during Wednesday’s practice despite wind gusts reaching 28 mph in Kansas City.
Mentorship and Tucker’s Tryout
Adding Tucker to the practice squad serves a dual purpose beyond providing an immediate backup plan. The move aims to help Butker regain his standard accuracy through mentorship from one of the league’s top historical kickers who recently navigated his own slump. Tucker struggled in his final season with the Baltimore Ravens, missing a career-high eight out of 30 attempts, and subsequently missed the entire 2025 season due to a 10-game suspension following an investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviors during massage sessions.
Toub noted that Tucker drew significant interest from around the league before visiting Kansas City as his fifth workout. During a rigorous 30-kick tryout designed by Toub—which featured 10 extra points, seven kicks beyond 50 yards, and a 60-yard attempt—Tucker converted every single kick, with 60% landing precisely in the center of the uprights.
Toub praised the performance, stating that a struggling kicker cannot achieve that level of accuracy across 30 kicks, and described Tucker’s display as exceptionally strong.
