The Kansas City Chiefs are facing a deluge of problems, sitting at 2-3, and heading into a crucial Week 6 clash against the Lions. One of the big problems they need to solve as soon as possible is the kicker concerns. Harrison Butker has had a kicking error in all five games for the Chiefs, missing a field goal in each of the first four games, and failing to keep the kickoff in bounds in Week 5. Calls for moving on from him are getting louder in Kansas City, but so far, nothing has materialized on that front.
In the event that the Chiefs decide to replace Butker, one of the leading candidates will almost certainly be Matthew Wright. Having had three previous stints with the franchise, the veteran kicker has been a reliable option every time he was called upon during a Butker absence. On Wednesday, however, things got a little complicated for the prospects of a Wright-Chiefs reunion.
Matthew Wright May No Longer Be an Option to Replace Harrison Butker
Titans insider Jim Wyatt reported that Tennessee was signing Wright to the team's practice squad. Wright had finished last season with the Titans and went 4/4 in two appearances, but they chose to go with Joey Slye to start the season. Slye has missed four out of his 17 field goal attempts and one out of his five extra point attempts, so the Titans understandably brought Wright in as competition.
Now, if the Chiefs want to bring Wright in for his fourth stint in KC, they need to sign him off the Titans' practice squad. Considering how Butker is the highest-paid kicker in the league, giving a second guaranteed contract to another kicker makes very little sense for the Chiefs. It is highly unlikely that the Chiefs would carry two kickers on their 53-man roster, leaving the only possibility for a Wright reunion as an injury to Butker.
When Wright had to replace Butker last season, he helped lead the Chiefs to two wins, one of them being a crucial AFC West clash against the Chargers for the division title. In two games, Wright made eight of his nine field goal attempts and went perfect in extra points. That type of reliability and consistency is what the Chiefs have been missing with Butker all season.
If the Chiefs want more competition for Butker, they will need to find a free agent to sign to the practice squad. For Wright to be an option, the Chiefs have to make the decision to part ways with Butker beforehand. Unless things continue to get worse for the 30-year-old kicker in Week 6 and beyond, that remains unlikely.