The Harrison Butker saga in 2026 has not been a fun one for Kansas City Chiefs fans. The 31-year-old placekicker has left far too many points on the board for Andy Reid's squad, and his mental struggles have only appeared to worsen over the course of the year.
The latest example of that inconsistency came last Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Just when it looked like Butker had turned the corner after nailing a 45-yard kick at the end of the first half, he followed that up with a 54-yard miss that he pushed to the right around the three-minute mark in the final quarter. Denver would go on to score the go-ahead and eventually game-winning touchdown two plays later thanks to the advantageous field position Butker gave them.
The long try had plenty of distance to clear the crossbar - unlike his missed 58-yarder the week prior
versus the Seahawks, which came well short - but it still sailed wide of the uprights. Needless to say, neither Butker nor KC fans can pinpoint where it's gone wrong for the three-time Super Bowl winner .
Despite the glaringly obvious kicking problem the Chiefs have , special teams coordinator Dave Toub continues to stand behind Butker. He defended his costly miss at the end of last game in a press conference on Thursday .
"He makes these kicks. Coach made the call; I was all for it," Toub said about the miss against the Broncos. "Had he made it, we'd be sitting here going, 'Hey, Butker's back.' It's a confidence thing. He missed it, he's missed kicks this year, and we've got an eye on it, and we're working on it."
Nov 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7) stands on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Toub explained that Butker was trying to be too perfect by leaving the attempt wide right. He would rather he miss the kick wide left because that would indicate he was fully committing to his swing rather than not trusting his form.
The Chiefs put Butker's job security on notice by signing former Baltimore Ravens standout Justin Tucker
to the practice squad last week. That move has come with a fair amount of backlash
over Tucker's past allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior with massage therapists, but Toub noted previously that his workout with the team was nothing short of flawless.
It doesn't sound like there's any plan to make a kicker change in the near future, though. Until further notice, Kansas City is going to roll with its veteran leg on field goals.
"Because Butker's our kicker, Butker's on our team, and we're paying Butker," Toub responded when asked why the Chiefs haven't given Tucker a chance. "Butker has won a lot of football games for us. Butker is a champion, and he deserves the right to be exhausted on this thing. We're going to exhaust every possibility with him."
The Chiefs are certainly exhausting every possibility with the Georgia Tech graduate. The decision to bring on Tucker was proof that the coaches are wary of Butker, but Toub isn't willing to "pull the plug" yet.
"It starts with practice. Try to put him in those situations by creating hard kicks, move him around where he's having troubles," Toub stated. "You exhaust every possibility to get this guy right, and that's what we're doing right now. I mean, we're not just gonna pull the plug."
Reid and Toub are going with a much more patient approach to the kicking situation than the fanbase is. It's difficult to say what the breaking point would be for Kansas City to move on from Butker, but in the meantime, fans simply have to hope he can return to his old form .
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chiefs/onsi as Dave Toub Makes Chiefs' Commitment to Harrison Butker Crystal Clear .
