Interactive: Harrison Butker’s 11 of 16 and the Justin Tucker signing — the Chiefs’ kicking question before Denver, step by step

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Kansas City signed Justin Tucker to its practice squad after Harrison Butker missed five of 16 field goals. Here are both kickers' careers in numbers, Tucker's suspension and the plan for Sunday at Denver.

Photo by Jeffrey Beall, CC-BY-4.0, resized

Interactive · Special teams

Harrison Butker's 11 of 16 and the Justin Tucker signing, step by step

The Chiefs put the former Ravens kicker on their practice squad this week after Butker missed five field goals in six games. Here are both careers in numbers, and what happens in Denver on Sunday.

Image by Kansas City Chiefs, resized

Chapter 1

Six games, five misses

Butker is 11 of 16 on field goals this season, 68.8%, which puts him near the bottom of the league. He has also missed one extra point in 15 tries.

The worst night was Sunday in Seattle. He made a 50-yarder but missed two other kicks in a 20-3 loss, the Chiefs’ first of the season.

Week 1 vs. Denver1 of 1, W 31-10
Week 2 vs. Indianapolis4 of 5, W 33-30 in overtime
Week 3 at Miami1 of 2, W 24-10
Week 4 at Las Vegas1 of 1, W 30-27
Week 6 vs. LA Chargers3 of 4 and 1 of 2 on extra points, W 22-6
Week 7 at Seattle1 of 3, L 20-3

0%field goals made in 2026

0makes on six tries from 50+ yards

0missed field goals

0missed extra point

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class William Lunn, resized

Chapter 2

Nine years of being the safe choice

Carolina drafted Butker out of Georgia Tech in the seventh round in 2017, at No. 233. Kansas City signed him off the Panthers’ practice squad that September, and he has been the Chiefs’ kicker ever since, through three Super Bowl titles.

Before this season he was 251 of 284 for his career. Only one season, 2022, came in under 84%.

Butker's field-goal percentage by season

201790.5%

201888.9%

201989.5%

202092.6%

202189.3%

202275.0%

202394.3%

202484.0%

202586.8%

202668.8%

Photo by Au Kirk, CC-BY-2.0, resized

Chapter 3

The Tucker file

Tucker signed with Baltimore as an undrafted rookie out of Texas in 2012 and won a Super Bowl that season. He kicked for the Ravens for 13 seasons and was a five-time All-Pro.

On September 26, 2021, he made a 66-yard field goal on the final play at Detroit to win 19-17. It hit the crossbar and went over, and it was the longest field goal in NFL history at the time.

0field goals made in 468 tries

0%career field-goal rate

0of 111 from 20 to 29 yards

0career points

Career accuracy by distance

Tucker 30-3997.6%

Butker 30-3994.6%

Tucker 40-4988.2%

Butker 40-4986.3%

Tucker 50+66.7%

Butker 50+62.7%

U.S. Air Force photo, resized

Chapter 4

2024, then a year away

His last season was his worst. Tucker made 22 of 30 field goals in 2024, 73.3%, and 6 of 11 from 50 yards and beyond. He also missed two extra points.

Tucker's field-goal percentage by season

201290.9%

201392.7%

201485.3%

201582.5%

201697.4%

201791.9%

201889.7%

201996.6%

202089.7%

202194.6%

202286.0%

202386.5%

202473.3%

In early 2025, a newspaper report said 16 massage therapists from Baltimore-area spas had accused him of inappropriate behavior during sessions. Tucker denied the allegations. The Ravens released him in May 2025, and the league suspended him for 10 games for violating its personal conduct policy. He did not appeal.

He became eligible to return in mid-November 2025, but no team signed him for the rest of the season. He turns 37 next month.

Photo by Justin Brockie, CC-BY-2.0, resized

Chapter 5

A workout on Tuesday, a signing on Wednesday

Kansas City brought in three kickers on Tuesday, October 27: Tucker, Harrison Mevis and Ben Sauls. Tucker was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday. Butker is still the only kicker on the 53-man roster.

Andy Reid said the team did its homework on Tucker but would not go into detail.

“He's done his suspension and took care of that business. I'll leave it at that.”

— Andy Reid, Chiefs coach, on Tucker

“Butker will get most of the reps this week. We'll just see where it goes. It's fluid.”

— Andy Reid

“He's our kicker. He went 10-for-10 yesterday with Tucker standing right there.”

— Dave Toub, Chiefs special teams coordinator, on Thursday

Image by Kansas City Chiefs, resized

Chapter 6

Sunday at altitude

The 5-1 Chiefs play at the 5-2 Broncos on Sunday, November 1, at 4:25 p.m. ET, which is 11:25 p.m. in Cairo. Reid said Butker will likely kick.

The teams met in Week 1, when Kansas City won 31-10 at home and Butker made his only field-goal try.

0Butker career field goals, 300 tries

0%Butker career rate

0%Tucker career rate

0seasons Tucker kicked for Baltimore

For now, the job is still Butker’s. If the misses continue, the Chiefs have one of the most accurate kickers the league has seen sitting on their practice squad.

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