The Kansas City Chiefs have endured a plethora of problems throughout the first three weeks of the season. From injuries to an inconsistent running game and a lack of pass rush, little has gone right. Still, no one in Chiefs Kingdom expected their kicking unit to become a concern.
Yet that is exactly what has happened. Veteran kicker Harrison Butker has had issues making kicks. Kansas City absolutely can't add this to the list of issues they are facing. As a result, the longtime Chiefs kicker could be on thin ice entering Week 4 if he continues to miss kicks.
Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker on Thin Ice Heading into Week 4
Chiefs Kingdom has come to rely upon Butker. The 30-year-old kicker has been with Kansas City for his whole nine-year career and has been reliable. That said, last season he did miss a month due to a knee injury.
Though Butker did miss his only kick in his first game back against the Cleveland Browns, he was rock solid the rest of the season. Butker ended up going 25/29 on field goals and 34/36 on extra points in 2024. Thus, Chiefs fans had no reason to doubt that the veteran would be an issue going forward.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old has started off this season rough. In three games, Butker has already missed two field goals and two extra points. This past week, he missed one field goal and one extra point. That marks the third week in a row he's missed with either a field goal or an extra point.
Luckily, it wasn't a huge deal against the New York Giants, who had their own offensive issues. However, leaving points on the board against teams with competent offenses will lead to Kansas City losing games.
What makes Butker's struggles even worse is the fact that a former Chiefs kicker is having a great start to the season. Spencer Shrader, whom the Chiefs signed while Butker was hurt last season, is now with the Indianapolis Colts and is arguably the best kicker going right now.
Entering Week 3, Shrader was 9/9 on field goals. Although he did miss one this week, he still has the best field goal percentage of a kicker who has at least one miss, 91.7% (11/12). He is yet to miss an extra point in 2025.
Kansas City could benefit from a kicker who's been that automatic this season, with all the other issues they have going on. Even so, Chiefs Kingdom still believes Butker can turn it around. If he misses another kick this week in a crucial matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, though, the calls for his job could get even louder.