Chiefs stand by Harrison Butker despite struggles, Justin Tucker waiting in wings

Tucker's perfect tryout turned heads, but Kansas City views the veteran as both insurance and a resource Oct 29, 2026 at 6:45 pm ET • 2 min read Despite the field goal issues that marred the first six games of the season and evolved into a disaster in Week 7, the Kansas City Chiefs do not intend to make a kicker change for Sunday's road game against the Denver Broncos. Coach Andy Reid said this week that Harrison Butker will "probably" retain his role as the team's kicker in Week 8, and special teams coordinator Dave Toub went a step further when he staunchly affirmed that Butker is the man for the job.Butker missed two field goal attempts in last week's 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and is just 11-for-16 on the year. His 68.8% conversion rate is by far the worst of his otherwise stellar career.Those costly missed kicks prompted the Chiefs to seek outside help, and after they brought three candidates into their facility during the week, they signed free agent Justin Tucker to their practice squad. The eight-time All-Pro will not handle the kicking duties against the Broncos, though."Butker is our kicker," Toub said. "We're trying to improve Butker. We're trying to get Butker right. That's what this whole thing is about." Toub said that Butker went 10-for-10 on his field goal attempts at Wednesday's practice despite 28-mph wind gusts in Kansas City.The idea behind adding Tucker to the practice squad goes further than simply having a backup option should Butker continue to falter. It is also a calculated measure to potentially help Butker rediscover his typical accuracy. Tucker regressed during his final season with the Baltimore Ravens and missed a career-high eight of his 30 attempts, and Toub detailed how it could be beneficial for Butker to receive mentorship from one of the league's greatest kickers of all time -- one who recently dealt with accuracy struggles of his own.Tucker missed the entire 2025 season while he served a 10-game suspension following an investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviors during massage sessions. He became eligible to sign with a new team ahead of the 2026 season and received numerous calls before the Chiefs landed him. "He's a good kicker," Toub said. "I've heard he's been out making the rounds. We talk. All the special teams coaches talk. He had four workouts before we brought him in. We were his fifth workout, tryout. The word was that he's hitting the ball great. I wanted to see it. I always thought he was a great kicker."Toub constructed a 30-kick tryout for Tucker and the other candidates that included 10 extra points, seven field goals of over 50 yards and one 60-yarder. Tucker went 30-for-30, and 60% of his conversions landed inside a six-foot cylinder in the middle of the uprights."Somebody that's struggling is not able to put the ball with that kind of accuracy at 30 kicks," Toub said. "He was off-the-charts good. That's the reason why we signed him to the practice squad." With Tucker seemingly back in the kind of form that made him a Ravens legend, he could be a viable option on game days if called upon.