Andy Reid spent Wednesday doing what coaches do when the calendar turns and the questions pile up: sorting through the state of his roster, explaining the logic behind a high-profile kicker move, and leaving just enough breadcrumbs on what might come next.
The biggest headline remains Justin Tucker. The Chiefs signed the veteran to the practice squad mid-week after Harrison Butker missed two more field goals in Sunday’s primetime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and Reid’s media session made it clear that the organization had reached the point where it wanted another option in the building. Tucker beat out two other kickers the Chiefs worked out, and Reid said the team brought him in for “security.”
Reid also addressed the larger concern surrounding Tucker’s arrival. Tucker was suspended for 10 games a year ago after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced from 16 different massage therapists, and the Baltimore Ravens moved on from him after the news broke.
Reid didn’t offer a long defense, but he did say he was comfortable with the decision. “So he's done his suspension, you know, and take care of that business there.
I'll leave it at that for ya.”
When asked whether owner Clark Hunt was involved in the decision, Reid kept it broad. “Listen, we try to do our homework the best way we possibly can. We talk to a lot of people, make sure things are okay.”
He returned to that point later, saying, “I try to do homework on it and see exactly what's taken place since. The kid... he served a suspension. There's been time involved with it, so that's how I evaluate it.”
For now, though, Butker is still part of the plan. Reid said the Chiefs will give him practice reps this week and that Tucker, as a newcomer on the practice squad, will work in the background for the time being. He also said that carrying two kickers on the active roster was not likely.
Reid didn’t sound worried about the move becoming a locker-room issue, either. He said he didn’t ask players for input before making the signing, but added, “I've got a good locker room, first of all.
They get it. We don't have a lot of secrets from the guys, so we keep trying to be honest with them.
Normally that's worked out for a couple of years. ”
Butker, Reid said, understands the business side of it. “Listen, Harrison, we love.
I've told you that before. He's one of my favorite guys.
Sometimes things don't go quite the way you want them and you work on that. He understands the business and how it works and we had a practice squad position open, and so for security, we brought [Tucker] in and put him in that spot we had open.
Butker gets it. He knows that's part of this business.
He's struggled a little bit and he gets it. He needs to pick it up here a little bit.”
Reid was even more direct later: “Obviously he didn't do very well this past game. I'm stating the obvious here.
He's been up and down a little bit. This happens.
Like anybody else in this business, myself included, you gotta pick it up and do better. So he gets that and that's where he sits right now.”
There was better news on the injury front. The Chiefs have been thin at wide receiver and offensive tackle, with Josh Simmons on injured reserve and Jaylon Moore dealing with concussion protocol.
Tyquan Thornton’s ankle injury and Rashee Rice’s hamstring injury have also hit the passing game hard. But Reid said everyone was able to participate at the start of the new week of practice, including Rice and Moore.
That doesn’t guarantee full availability on Sunday at Denver, but it at least gives the Chiefs a chance to get some needed help back for Week 8.
There was also an update on rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen, who has remained mostly on the sideline through seven weeks despite a strong preseason showing. Reid said the team is still bringing him along.
“Yeah, we're growing him as we go. Talented.
He got a little bit more last week. He'll get a little bit more this coming week.”
And with the trade deadline approaching on November 10, the Chiefs are still exploring wide receiver help. Reid said any player brought in would need to be able to handle the offense quickly.
“You'd hope they'd be familiar with the offense. If they're not, they gotta be smart and pick it up quickly.
I've had players that have done that and done it well, but i will tell ya, but there'd better be some form of an aptitude there, a capacity if you're jumping into the middle of things.”
In Other News...
Chiefs Kicking Pressure Just Put Harrison Butker In The Spotlight
Harrison Butker has spent the week under a brighter spotlight than usual, but the veteran kicker responded in practice with a clean showing during a windy session. The Chiefs have been looking for steadier footing at the position after recent struggles, and Butker remains the preferred option as Kansas City turns its attention to an upcoming game against the Broncos.
The added pressure has only intensified since the Chiefs brought in Justin Tucker on the practice squad, giving the team another accomplished leg in the building and another voice in the mix. Both kickers have offered advice aimed at helping Butker sharpen things up, and for now the job still belongs to the player Kansas City trusts most when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Head To Denver With One Rivalry Concern Looming Largest
A matchup with Denver arrives at a useful time for Kansas City, even if the stakes are already high. The Chiefs sit at 5-1 and the Broncos are right behind them at 5-2, which gives this one the feel of an early-season measuring stick in a division race that rarely stays tidy for long. Around the league, the conversation has centered on how Kansas City stacks up in a few key areas, from the ground game to whether the defense can keep pressure on the quarterback when the game tightens up.
Kansas Citys margin for error may come down to whether it can find steadier answers in the passing game and get more consistent disruption up front. The Chiefs have talent in the right places, but this trip to Denver comes with enough uncertainty to make it a real test of where they are right now, not just where the record says they should be. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Trade Buzz Builds Around A Familiar Fix At Receiver
The receiver market around the league is starting to shift, and one familiar name is already surfacing for Kansas City. Marquise Brown, now with the Eagles after two seasons in the Chiefs offense, is being mentioned by NFL insiders and analysts as a possible trade candidate as Philadelphia works through a difficult season and Browns role has been limited by injury and low usage.
For the Chiefs, the fit is easy to understand. They know Brown, they know what he can do when healthy, and they have a history of turning to players who already understand the system. The question is whether Philadelphia decides to move him at all, and if it does, how much of a return it would take to make a deal worth doing for a receiver whose recent production has been muted. [Read more 🡒]