Harrison Butker’s 68.8% Field Goal Percentage Is Getting Him Replaced by a Suspended Kicker

The Kansas City Chiefs just signed seven-time Pro Bowler Justin Tucker to their practice squad Wednesday, cranking up the heat on veteran kicker Harrison Butker. After a decade with the team, it sure looks like the Chiefs are ready to turn the page at kicker.

Butker’s Numbers Are Just Not Cutting It

Let’s be real, Butker’s been struggling hard this season. He’s already missed five field goals and an extra point. His 68.8 field goal percentage is tied for a dismal 28th in the entire NFL, and he’s shanked four of his six attempts from 50 yards or more. That’s just nowhere near good enough for a squad that’s trying to work through some offensive kinks in Patrick Mahomes’ first season back from a major knee injury. You need points, especially reliable ones, when your offense is finding its rhythm.

Justin Tucker’s Controversial Return

Now, let’s talk about the new guy, Justin Tucker. He’s 36 and hasn’t kicked a ball since 2024, which was the worst season of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. Shortly after that year, he faced sexual misconduct accusations from 16 massage therapists, and the Ravens cut him. Tucker then served a 10-game suspension in 2025 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, though he wasn’t on an active roster at the time. It’s a wild path for a guy to get back into the league, but the Chiefs are clearly desperate enough to sign a seven-time Pro Bowler to their practice squad despite all that baggage.

The Steep Price of Moving On

Here’s the kicker, though: Harrison Butker is signed through 2028, and cutting him isn’t cheap. He carries a dead cap value of $10.1 million. If the Chiefs cut him before June 1 of the 2027 offseason, it would cost them $2.8 million in dead cap. If they wait until after June 1, that cost drops to $1.4 million. So, they have a big incentive to make it work with Butker, at least for the rest of this season. But you have to wonder how long they can stick with those kinds of struggles when a future Hall of Famer, even one with a complicated past, is waiting on the practice squad. Tucker might be there now, but the path to the 53-man roster seems pretty clear if Butker’s struggles continue. The Chiefs have a massive decision looming in their kicking game.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.