Kansas City Chiefs: Appreciation for Harrison Butker, the kid from out of nowhere

Impressive rookie resume for Butker

After missing his first career field goal attempt, Butker sure settled down when his name was called. He went on to make a franchise-record 23 straight field goals for Kansas City. This streak gave him yet another historical mark in his football career, only this time in the pros … and as a rookie.

Butker’s first miss in 24 attempts was from 51 yards out, which is hardly a miss to hang your head about.

Another amazing feat by Harrison Butker this past season was his 90.5 percent conversion rate. To give a little bit of context, this impressive percentage was ninth in the league among kickers with at least 20 attempts.

Converting field goals at a greater percentage than Pro Bowlers Steven Hauschka and Adam Vinatieri is no simple task, but Butker took that challenge and ran with it.

Butker was able to add quite a few points for the Chiefs’ offense in 2017. He made 38 field goals, good for second in the NFL and the most by a rookie in NFL history.

While this is an indication of the Chiefs’ offensive struggles mid-season, it gave Butker plenty of opportunities to help his team win. The Chiefs certainly put their trust in Butker this season, and he was able to capitalize by providing the Chiefs with 38 total field goals.

Any player on an NFL roster should be prepared to help a team win in any given situation. For Butker in 2017, he was called upon in extremely high pressure situations. The game-winner against the Redskins was extremely impressive for a guy who hadn’t even seen the field in a regular-season game before.

However, Butker was poised in his rookie debut and put another loss on the Redskins’ season record. Another situation presented itself where Butker was called upon for another big moment in the final game of the season.

Patrick Mahomes had led the Chiefs down the field in a masterful 2-minute drill, and Butker had a chance to win it for the team. On a 30-yard attempt, he put the ball through the uprights. Two game-winners in one season. Bravo Mr. Butker.

To compare Harrison Butker to the all-time great kickers this early would be a bit of a stretch. But he put his name in the record books in 2017, as his 38 field goals are the most all-time by an NFL rookie … and he would’ve had more had he started Week 1.

At the rate that Butker is going, he will be able to cement himself among some of the greatest kickers of all time (Justin Tucker, Adam Vinatieri, Morten Andersen).

The Chiefs needed a kicker they could rely on while viable starter Cairo Santos was sidelined, yet they got much more than that. Kickers are often overlooked in the league, as they are relatively interchangeable.

However, when you have a player that can consistently put the ball through the uprights, it might just be worth the investment. The Chiefs have a franchise kicker on their hands, and Butker will soon be seeing himself named to the Pro Bowl.