Harrison Butker missed his only field goal attempt on Sunday, a 51-yarder as the first-half clock expired in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 35-12 win over the New York Jets, and head coach Andy Reid is clearly ready to make a tough call. When pressed by CBS’ Tracy Wolfson about what he needs to see from Butker, Reid’s answer was short and to the point: “I need to see it go through.” Ouch.
Butker’s Career-Worst Season Puts Him on the Hot Seat
This isn’t just one bad kick, folks. Butker’s miss wasn’t just met with boos from the Kansas City crowd, it’s the latest nail in what’s shaping up to be the worst season of his career. The veteran kicker, now in his 10th season and with three Super Bowl rings, is hitting a dismal 12 of 19 on field goal attempts for the season. That’s a 63.1% conversion rate, a massive drop from his single-season career low of 88.6% last season. That kind of drop-off is impossible to ignore, especially when games get tight. You can’t have your kicker missing almost 40% of his attempts. It’s just not championship-level production.
Justin Tucker’s Arrival and Andy Reid’s Cryptic Message
The pressure on Butker is ramping up because the Chiefs didn’t just stand pat. They brought in eight-time All-Pro Justin Tucker to the practice squad, and teams don’t sign guys like that to just sit around. What makes this whole situation even more complicated, and honestly, a little wild, is the baggage Tucker brings with him. He’s facing 16 allegations of sexual misconduct from his time with the Baltimore Ravens. That’s a serious amount of off-field drama for any team to take on, let alone for someone expected to simply chill on the practice squad. Andy Reid himself didn’t even wait for the questions post-game. He brought up the kicking situation in his opening statement, stating he’d “look at everything” and that he’s “not making any decisions right now today.” But he followed that up with, “No need to ask. That’ll be the answer that you get.” It sounds like he’s telling everyone to back off because a decision *is* coming. He’s clearly not ruling out making a change.
This isn’t a decision Reid will take lightly, given Butker’s long tenure and success with the team. But performance is everything in this league. Reid is going to evaluate everything this week, and with Butker’s numbers dipping so drastically and Tucker waiting in the wings with all his issues, the Chiefs have a massive decision looming.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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