Chiefs face Harrison Butker dilemma after costly Denver Broncos miss as Justin Tucker waits for his opportunity(Getty)
The Kansas City Chiefs have a difficult decision to make after Harrison Butker missed a crucial 54-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos. The miss came with 2:31 remaining and gave Denver another chance to take control. The Broncos scored a touchdown two plays later and won 28-24, leaving Kansas City with another painful loss. Butker’s position now faces fresh scrutiny, especially after the Chiefs signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad on October 28.
Andy Reid has backed Butker publicly, but his earlier comments suggest the coaching staff is no longer treating the starting job as untouchable.
Speaking to reporters on October 28, following the Chiefs’ decision to bring in Tucker, the head coach admitted that his regular kicker needed to improve. The comments came after Butker missed two field goals against Seattle on October 25. His signing also drew criticism following allegations from 16 massage therapists. Tucker denied the allegations and served a 10-game suspension in 2025 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Things happen,” Reid said, according to KMBC. “He’s one of my favorite guys,” Reid said. “Right now, his technique’s off a bit. It’s not as consistent as he wants it. The Chiefs coach also explained why the team brought Tucker into the building despite his support for Butker. “And sometimes things don’t go quite the way you want them, and you work on that. So, he understands the business and how it works. And we had a practice squad position open, and so, for security we brought (Tucker) in and put him in that spot that we had open. Butker gets it. He then missed another against Denver, making his position even harder to defend.
Reid had already raised concerns about Butker’s performances before the Denver game.