Death, taxes, and Harrison Butker connecting on his kicks. That used to be the status quo for the Kansas City Chiefs'longtime kicker throughout his career, but numbers tell an entirely different story over the past couple of years.
Once considered either the best or one of the best kickers in the game, the often-controversial and outspoken kicker hasn't been nearly as efficient in the last two seasons. In fact, he's actually been one of the worst.
While the naked eye and regular stats might not tell that picture, FanSided's own KVA metric was designed to fix that problem. KVA measures how much value a kicker can add or cost his team relative to league expectations based on kicking distance. Notably, Butker enters 2026 ranked at No. 17.
Harrison Butker's fall from grace has been notable, and questions remain if he can get ever return to peak form
"The mental component of kicking can't be overlooked, and Harrison Butker is the latest piece of evidence," wrote Adam Fromal. "He followed up the 2023 KVA title with two straight negative seasons for the Chiefs filled with mechanical struggles, far too many missed PATs, and a general feeling of unease when he started counting off his steps. Butker has spent the offseason focusing on dialing back his power-first approach in favor of smooth contact, but he'll end up on the hot seat if he keeps collapsing that left knee, and 2026 opens with any misfires."
Butker led the NFL in KVA in 2023 (14.4) just to finish 31st (-0.41) and 26th (-0.9) in the following two campaigns. He used to be a problem-solver for Andy Reid's team, and he's now become more of an afterthought.
Just last season, he missed five of his 38 field goals and four of his PATs, with an average make distance of just 37.7 yards. That's a far cry from the strong-legged kicker who owns the record for the most consecutive field goals made in Super Bowls (9).
As Fromal pointed out, kicking is as much mental as it is physical, and while he's dealt with some injuries over the past two years, it looks like Butker also needs to get out of his own head to return to his dominant form.
The Chiefs value everything he's done for the organization. They probably wouldn't have been as successful during their dynastic run without him, especially in so many close-game situations, if it weren't for his timely and accurate kicking.
That said, there's only so much KC can take, especially now that they're looking to bounce back from the most disappointing season of the Andy Reid era. Moving on from him has never seemed to be an option, but this is a ruthless business that doesn't stop for anyone.
Notably, the Chiefs would actually save nearly $4.5 million if they cut Butker next offseason, according to Over The Cap, and while that's not significant or big enough to move the needle, they don't have any actual reason other than nostalgia and appreciation to keep Harrison Butker around if he doesn't get his act together this season.
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