The Kansas City Chiefs have yet to have a game without a kicking blunder this season. Whether it's a missed field goal, a shanked extra point attempt, or not being able to keep the ball inbounds on kickoffs, the Chiefs have had to deal with an underperforming Harrison Butker all season. Chiefs fans have been hoping for a chance, or at least a competition, but the organization is standing firmly behind Butker, more so because of his albatross of a contract. If they decide to move on from him, however, the perfect replacement is once again available.
One of the first names that will emerge as an option to replace Butker will almost undoubtedly be Matthew Wright. Tennessee Titans insider Jim Wyatt reported on Friday that the team has released Wright from their practice squad, less than a week later he made his season debut and went 1/1 on field goals and 1/1 in extra points against the Raiders. For some reason, they are continuing with Joey Slye, who has gone 13/17 on FGs to start the season.
Matthew Wright Is Available Once Again if Butker Continues to Struggle
It's hard to find a kicker more familiar with the Chiefs organization than Wright. He has had three stints in Kansas City, being a reliable backup option every time Butker is unavailable. Last season, Wright stepped up in a big way, making four field goals in back-to-back games, helping the Chiefs clinch the AFC West in the crucial win against the Chargers.
Even though he has rarely held the starting job for longer than a few weeks, Wright has been solid in all of his stints, demonstrated by his 87.5% field goal accuracy. He has also only missed two of his 44 extra point attempts in his career, boasting a higher percentage than Butker on those.
What Butker has done in Kansas City shouldn't be ignored. He is still No. 1 in Chiefs history in field goal percentage with 88.1%. He has long been one of the most reliable kickers in the league. Yet, kicking is a mental game, and is a "what have you done for me lately" situation, perhaps more than any other position in football. When evaluating kickers, we are dealing with such small samples, and one mistake can swing games so significantly that Butker's repeated blunders should be enough of a reason to consider a change.
For now, it doesn't sound like the Chiefs are considering that change. When they inevitably do, if Butker continues to struggle, Wright will be ready to pounce on that opportunity.