Harrison Butker is no longer a talking point. That's exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs want for their kicker, at least on the field.
It was only a few weeks ago that conversations around the Chiefs' special teams units overall, and specifically the effectiveness of Butker, were concerning. Kansas City's longtime kicker had become rather unreliable in the early going, and coming off of an injury-affected season in 2024, it made sense to wonder whether the marriage was going to find its eventual end after this current season.
But over the last few games, the lack of concern around Butker is itself a point of discussion. Over his last three games, Butker has made every single kick asked of him—wins against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 and Washington Commanders in Week 8 as well as a loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. While the Chiefs were generally frustrated going into the bye, Butker was no longer a pariah.
Harrison Butker seems to have ironed out the early-season wrinkles that made him a concern for Chiefs fans.
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke about Butker's progress on Thursday as the team's assistant coaches took to the podium.
"[Butker] has had a couple of good games in a row," said Toub. "That’s great. He’s had a really good practice. I thought it was his best Wednesday practice yesterday. You know, the ball’s flying good right now.
Specifically, Toub pointed to the first practice back from the bye week off and believes it might have helped the team's hard-working kicker.
"I think the rest might have helped [Butker]. We talk about, ‘You gotta go back to work,’ and he does a lot. I think this break was really good for him, because he looked really good yesterday. Two good games, and hopefully we’ve got this thing righted."
It feels important to note that the Chiefs have asked less of Butker in recent weeks. The Chiefs haven't asked Butker to even attempt a single 50-yard field goal (or more) in the last five games—since Week 4 when he missed a long-distance attempt against the Baltimore Ravens. However, that speaks more to the offensive effectiveness after getting Rashee Rice back and Xavier Worthy healthy than it does any confidence in special teams.
Butker has made 12 straight extra point attempts, dating back to Week 6, and has converted his last five field goal attempts as well. Those aren't startling numbers by any means, but a streak has to start somewhere, and Chiefs Kingdom's ability to channel their nerves elsewhere is a welcome development.
The sample size is small but encouraging as Butker finds the consistency and accuracy that have, for the most part, defined his legacy in Kansas City. Toub testifies to Butker's improved approach as well, meaning that early-season wrinkles that could have doomed K.C. in close games have been ironed out. That could mean quite a bit as the Chiefs seek to climb back into the playoff picture.