There hasn't been a game through the first six weeks of the Kansas City Chiefs season that Harrison Butker hasn't made a kicking blunder. Whether it's missing a field goal, failing to keep kickoff in bounds, or shanking an extra point attempt like he did against the Lions in Week 6, Butker is one of the worst kickers in the NFL this year, having missed [three extra points and three field goals](https://kckingdom.com/chiefs-week-5-loss-should-seal-harrison-butkers-fate-in-kc-01k6ybq3jqhg).
This, coming from the highest-paid kicker in the league, is unacceptable. The kicker performances around the league in Week 6 further suggests that the Chiefs are making a mistake holding onto Butker.
Chiefs Can Easily Find a Better Kicker Than Harrison Butker in Free Agency
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teams that have moved on from their kickers and replaced them with free agents have been reaping their rewards.
The Green Bay Packers signed Lucas Havrisik the day before their Week 6 clash against the Bengals. He had a perfect game with two field goals and three extra points, something Butker has yet to do this season.
Eddy Piñeiro is a perfect 15/15 in field goals after the 49ers signed him after Jake Moody's struggles in Week 1.
The Colts signed Michael Badgley last week after losing Spencer Shrader to a season-ending injury, and the veteran kicker had a perfect game in his season debut.
All of these players were available on the free agent market at various points in the season. What this shows that it's not hard to find true difference makers in free agency, especially at the kicker position. Kicking is a more mental and psychological role than any other position in football. And the difference between a good kicker and a bad kicker can be marginal due to the small sample size. One season, you can be the best kicker in the league, but if you keep missing your field goals the next season, a better replacement can easily be found in the open market.
If it wasn't for the financial aspect of the situation, the Chiefs could perhaps be thinking about moving on from Butker. What makes things difficult, however, is that the struggling veteran would cost the Chiefs $15.1 million in dead cap if he were released at any point during the season. A trade could be a possibility if another team is willing to take a chance on Butker, but kicker trades are rare in the NFL.
If Butker continues his struggles, however, the Chiefs will have no choice but to bring in another kicker. If they don't, it would be organizational malpractice, considering how many decent options can be acquired on the market.
### More Kansas City Chiefs news and rumors: