Andy Reid is staying with Harrison Butker for now, even after the Chiefs added Justin Tucker and Butker’s recent misses kept the kicking conversation alive.
Kansas City heads into Week 9 trying to bounce back from a 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, a defeat that pushed Denver into first place in the AFC West. The Chiefs now turn to the New York Jets, but it’s not the kind of matchup they can afford to treat casually.
Reid had already said Butker would keep the job initially, and that stance held even after Butker missed a field goal against Denver. On Wednesday, Reid made it clear the veteran kicker will remain in place this week, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN.
“Harrison [Butker] will be in,” Reid said.
Butker’s numbers tell the story of a rough stretch. He is 12-of-18 on field goals and 17-of-18 on extra points this season.
Reid gave him a chance at a 54-yard attempt in the loss to the Broncos, a difficult kick but one Butker has handled many times in his career. His career long is 62 yards, though this season his longest make is 50 yards, and he is only 2-of-7 from 50 yards and beyond in the 2026 season.
The struggles have piled up. Butker has missed at least one field goal in each of the last three games, including two misses in the previous loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Since the start of last season, he has 16 missed kicks, the most in the league over that span, according to ESPN Insights.
Tucker’s arrival keeps the pressure on. Palmer said Tucker’s workout was “out of this world.”
For now, though, Reid is sticking with Butker. Still, the situation is one to watch every week, because at any point Reid could decide to make the switch and put Tucker in as the starter.
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