Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) reacts after a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs activate K Harrison Butker (knee) from IR

The Kansas City Chiefs activated Harrison Butker from injured reserve on Saturday and released fellow kicker Matthew Wright.

Butker, who is eligible to kick in Sunday’s game at Cleveland, has been on IR since Nov. 14. He missed four games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and returned to practice this week.

In his place, the Chiefs used Spencer Shrader and Wright, who combined to hit 11 of 12 field goals and eight extra-point attempts.

Wright was named the NFL’s special teams player of the week after he connected on a 31-yard game-winning field goal on the final play of the game last Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The kick clinched the ninth consecutive AFC West title for the Chiefs.

Butker, 29, has not played since the Chiefs’ 16-14 home win over the Denver Broncos on Nov. 10. He is 18 of 20 on field-goal attempts (long of 53) and 21 of 22 on extra-point attempts this season.

For his career, the three-time Super Bowl champion has converted 89.2 percent of his field goals and 94.6 percent of his PATs. Butker needs 25 points to become the third player in Chiefs history with 1,000.

Also on Saturday, the Chiefs (12-1) downgraded left tackle D.J. Humphries to out due to a hamstring injury. He initially was listed as doubtful.

They also activated linebacker Swayze Bozeman and tight end Anthony Firkser from the practice squad.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) kicks a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Chiefs OT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) sits; Harrison Butker returns

New Kansas City Chiefs left tackle D.J. Humphries will miss practice on Wednesday while the team welcomed the return of kicker Harrison Butker after sitting out a month following knee surgery.

Humphries, 30, injured his hamstring in his first game with the Chiefs, a 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.

“We’re just going to take it day by day and see how he does,” coach Andy Reid said of Humphries, who played 60 offensive snaps.

The Chiefs (12-1) signed the Pro Bowl tackle on Nov. 23 after Humphries worked his way back from a torn ACL sustained last season while playing with the Arizona Cardinals.

Humphries started 15 games last season and all 98 in which he’s played since the Cardinals selected him with the 24th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was released in March.

Butker, 29, has not played since the Chiefs’ 16-14 home win over the Denver Broncos on Nov. 10. He had surgery on his left knee and went on injured reserve.

“We’re going to see how he does. He has a chance,” Reid said of Butker playing in Sunday’s road game against the Cleveland Browns.

Butker is 18 of 20 on field-goal attempts (long of 53) and 21 of 22 on extra-point attempts this season. He has won three Super Bowl titles with Kansas City.

The Chiefs replaced Butker with rookie Spencer Shrader, then he went on injured reserve due to a right hamstring injury. Kicker Matthew Wright stepped in for Shrader and made all four field-goal attempts against the Chargers, including the game-winning 31-yarder off the left upright as time expired.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs K Harrison Butker undergoes surgery on left knee

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker reported Friday that surgery on his left knee was done and was a success.

“Surgery went great! Thank you for the prayers,” Butker wrote on X.

The Chiefs announced Friday they had placed Butker, 29, on injured reserve and confirmed the signing of kicker Spencer Shrader, who had been on the New York Jets practice squad.

Eighth among NFL kickers in points with 75 this season, Butker connected on 18 of 20 field-goal attempts and 21 of 22 extra points. Both of the missed field goals were on tries beyond 50 yards.

Butker’s career 89.21 field-goal percentage ranks third in NFL history. He has won three Super Bowl titles with Kansas City.

Shrader has limited NFL experience.

A 25-year-old rookie from Notre Dame, Shrader connected on both of his field-goal attempts for the Jets last week at Arizona. He joined the Jets after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, who used Shrader in Week 1 for three successful PATs as the injury replacement for kicker Matt Gay.

The Chiefs (9-0), seeking their 16th consecutive win dating back to last season, visit the Buffalo Bills (8-2) on Sunday in a key AFC game.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader (3) kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter of the NFL preseason game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.

Chiefs pluck untested Spencer Shrader from Jets, place PK Harrison Butker (knee) on IR

Harrison Butker landed on injured reserve with a left knee injury, forcing the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs to sign a replacement, Spencer Shrader, off the Jets’ practice squad on Thursday.

Butker won’t be on the field when the Chiefs (9-0) visit the Buffalo Bills (8-2) on Sunday trying to win an 16th consecutive game dating to last season.

Eighth among NFL kickers in points with 75 this season, Butker connected on 18 of 20 field-goal attempts and 21 of 22 extra points. Both of the missed field goals were on tries beyond 50 yards.

Butker’s career 89.21 field-goal percentage ranks third in NFL history.

The Chiefs have won seven of nine games by a one-possession margin in 2024. Their last visit to Buffalo was a 27-24 nail-biter win in last seasons’s AFC Divisional Playoffs, and the regular-season meeting with the Bills was a 20-17 loss. The Chiefs also dropped a 24-20 decision to the Bills in the 2022 regular season.

A 25-year-old rookie from Notre Dame, Shrader connected on both of his field-goal attempts for the Jets last week at Arizona. He joined the Jets after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, who used Shrader in Week 1 for three successful PATs as the injury replacement for placekicker Matt Gay.

He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and played college football only after first pursuing a pro soccer career. He enrolled at USF in 2019 and was the primary kicker for four seasons. As a graduate transfer in 2023, Shrader had four 50-yard field goals for the Fighting Irish.

Butker, 29, signed a self-negotiated four-year, $25.6 million extension in August that made him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

Butker set the Super Bowl record for longest field goal during the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII earlier this year. Butker’s 57-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the third quarter supplanted the previous record that had been set just one quarter earlier by 49ers rookie Jake Moody, who kicked a 55-yarder to give San Francisco an early 3-0 lead.

Originally drafted out of Georgia Tech by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Butker has played all seven of his NFL seasons with the Chiefs.

Shrader participated in the Colts’ 2024 offseason program and training camp after originally signing with the team as an undrafted free agent.

–Field Level Media

Jan. 29, 2023: Patrick Mahomes raises the Lamar Hunt Trophy while Travis Kelce celebrates after the Kansas City Chiefs' 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Travis Kelce weighs in on Harrison Butker commencement speech

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he doesn’t agree with the “majority” of Harrison Butker’s recent controversial comments but noted that he will not judge his teammate for it.

Butker caused a stir during his 20-minute commencement address on May 11 at Benedictine College, which is a Catholic school in Atchison, Kan. He addressed the female graduates in attendance and spoke against the “diabolical lies” society places on women who emphasize their careers over motherhood.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said on Wednesday that he did not “necessarily agree with” Butker’s comments but noted he was going to “judge him by the character he shows every single day.”

Kelce had a similar take on the matter while speaking Friday on his “New Heights” podcast.

“He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness,” Kelce said of Butker. “And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said (in his) commencement speech, those are his.

“I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”

Kelce did not address the part of Butker’s speech in which the kicker quoted a Taylor Swift lyric.

Butker said, “As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’” — which references Swift’s song “Bejeweled.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 23, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7) kicks the point after touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during an AFC Divisional playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs rule out K Harrison Butker vs. Buccaneers

The Kansas City Chiefs ruled out kicker Harrison Butker for Sunday night’s game against the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Butker has missed each of the Chiefs’ last three games due to a left ankle injury he sustained in the team’s season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Butker, 27, has made 90.2 percent of his field-goal attempts (147 of 163) in 78 games with the Chiefs dating back to 2017.

Kicker Matthew Wright and linebacker Elijah Lee were elevated from the team’s practice squad on Saturday.

Wright, 26, has made 25 of 28 field-goal attempts and 20 of 22 extra-point tries in 17 career games with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2021).

Lee, 26, has four tackles in three games this season with the Chiefs. He has 103 tackles and one sack in 69 career games (six starts) with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-19), Detroit Lions (2020), Cleveland Browns (2020-21) and Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs K Harrison Butker ruled out for ‘TNF’

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been ruled out for Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers with a sprained ankle.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that Butker had swelling in the ankle. Butker was injured in Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Multiple outlets reported that practice-squad kicker Matt Ammendola will replace Butker against the Chargers. Ammendola appeared in 11 games for the Jets last season, going 13-for-19 on field goals and 14-for-15 on extra-point attempts.

Chiefs safety Justin Reid went 1-for-2 on extra-point attempts Sunday and took over kickoff duties.

The Chiefs restructured Butker’s contract earlier Wednesday, creating $1.46 million in cap space, per reports. The Chiefs ranked 28th in cap space when the season kicked off, per overthecap.com.

Reid blamed the turf at Arizona’s stadium for the injury to Butker and rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was put on injured reserve Tuesday. McDuffie slipped and injured his hamstring.

Chiefs starting guard Trey Smith (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and is listed as questionable against the Chargers.

–Field Level Media

Aug 25, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) kicks a point after touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Harrison Butker (ankle) day-to-day as Chiefs mull options

Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker missed practice Tuesday with an ankle sprain as the Chiefs mull options on a short week in the event he can’t play Thursday night.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Butker is day-to-day.

“I think if it was just a pain thing, I think he’d bear through that,” Reid said. “But he’s got some swelling in there. So, I think it’s a matter of him being functional enough to do it. He’s a tough kid, we’ll just see how it works out.

“We’ve got plan B and we’re working on it,” Reid added.

The Chiefs reportedly signed former Jets kicker Matt Ammendola to their practice squad on Monday.

The Chiefs also placed rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie (hamstring) on injured reserve. The first-round draft pick will have to miss at least four games. McDuffie started and played 49 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps against Arizona in Week 1, recording a tackle.

Butker sustained the injury after his first kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. His left plant foot seemed to slip and twist awkwardly on the kickoff. Butker went to the medical tent and eventually the locker room to get evaluated.

He was successful on the PAT after the Chiefs’ second touchdown but safety Justin Reid came on for the extra point attempt on their third touchdown, missing wide right.

Justin Reid then took over kickoff duties, easily reaching the end zone for a touchback on two of those.

Butker later came on to make a 54-yard field-goal attempt to give Kansas City a 23-7 lead at halftime. The Chiefs went on to win, 44-21.

–Field Level Media

Jul 27, 2022; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7) kicks during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Chiefs working out kicker with Harrison Butker hurt

The Kansas City Chiefs are working out kicker Tristan Vizcaino on Monday in the event that Harrison Butker’s ankle injury sidelines him for Week 2, according to multiple reports.

The Chiefs are on a short week, hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night to open Week 2.

Vizcaino kicked in six games for the Chargers in 2021, converting 10 of 15 extra points and making six of seven field goal attempts. He also kicked in a game for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.

Butker suffered an ankle injury after his first kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. His left plant foot seemed to slip and twist awkwardly on the kickoff. Butker went to the medical tent and eventually the locker room to get evaluated.

He was successful on the PAT after the Chiefs’ second touchdown but safety Justin Reid came on for the extra point attempt on their third touchdown, missing wide right.

Reid then took over kickoff duties, easily reaching the end zone for a touchback on two of those.

Butker later came on to make a 54-yard field-goal attempt to give Kansas City a 23-7 lead at halftime. The Chiefs went on to win, 44-21.

–Field Level Media