Dave Toub’s 49-Word Quote That Tells You Everything About the Chiefs’ Kicking Crisis

Harrison Butker has missed a league-high 17 kicks since the start of last year, a stat that would usually spell the end for a kicker, but the Chiefs are still rolling with him this week despite the struggles. This isn’t a new problem either, with Kansas City facing kicking issues for a while now. It leaves fans wondering: how much longer can this go on?

Butker’s Struggles Are More Than Just a Blip

For years, Butker was one of the most accurate kickers in the league. That’s a distant memory now. He’s connected on only 12-of-19 field goals and 22-of-23 extra points so far in 2026. Think about that: 17 total misses since last season. That’s a staggering number, and it’s absolutely impacting games. The team even went out and signed former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad, a move that screamed “we’re ready to make a change.” Yet, to this point, Tucker hasn’t seen a single snap in a game.

Why the Chiefs Are Still Sticking With Their Guy

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub isn’t mincing words about why Butker is still their guy. He told reporters, “We’re going to keep pounding it. We’re going to keep working it and keep kicking him. He’s going to come through it. I mean, we’re confident that he will. We’re just going to keep practicing him and keep working on little things, and he’s looked good in practice. There’s a reason why he’s still our kicker.” That’s a whole lot of confidence in a kicker who’s been missing at a league-leading clip. They’re banking on practice performance translating to game day, despite the mounting evidence against it.

The Chiefs are clearly putting their faith in Butker to rediscover his old form. Every kick from here on out is going to be under a microscope. Can he really “come through it” like Toub says, or will Kansas City eventually have to pull the trigger on Tucker and make a tough call?

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.