The Chiefs have reached the point where Harrison Butker’s early-season struggles can’t just be brushed aside anymore. After standing by their Super Bowl kicker through weeks of inconsistency, Kansas City is bringing in a heavyweight challenger.
On Wednesday, Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star reported that the Chiefs were expected to sign Justin Tucker to the practice squad. That move doesn’t just add depth at kicker - it signals that the team is seriously uneasy about where Butker stands right now.
Tucker arrives with a resume that makes him an unusual practice-squad addition. He spent 13 seasons with the Ravens after entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and his name has lived at the top of the kicker conversation for years.
He owns five first-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods, ranks third all-time in field goal percentage at 89.1 percent, and once held the NFL record for the longest field goal after drilling a 66-yarder against Detroit as time expired in 2021. He’s also No. 17 on the NFL’s all-time points list with 1,775.
His football credentials are only part of the story, though. Tucker was released by the Ravens in ’25 after an NFL investigation in which he was accused by 18 massage therapists of misconduct early in his career.
He later served a 10-game suspension and became free to sign with any team. Several teams took a look this year, including the Saints, Colts, and Jets, before the Chiefs stepped in.
For Kansas City, the timing tells the story. Butker has been central to the Chiefs’ run that ended in three Super Bowl titles, and that part of his legacy doesn’t change.
But this season has been a different story. He’s made just 11 of 16 field goals, and his issues have included missed extra points and a drop in accuracy from the heights he once reached.
Sunday’s primetime game against the Seahawks only sharpened the concern. Butker missed a 58-yard attempt that came up short, then later pushed a 45-yard try wide right in the closing moments.
The numbers have become hard to ignore. Harrison Butker's 15 missed kicks (10 FGs, 5 PATs) since start of last season are the most in NFL.
That’s why Tucker’s arrival matters. The Chiefs are not looking for a developmental option here.
They’re adding a veteran with enough experience and stature to step into a pressure spot without blinking. Brett Veach’s move suggests Kansas City wants certainty, not a project, and the pressure now lands squarely on Butker to stabilize things before the kicking situation gets any messier.
If Tucker gets elevated to the active roster, no one will wonder whether he can handle the stage. The Chiefs now have two proven kickers in the building, and they’re hoping one of them can finally bring some calm to a position that’s been anything but steady.
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