Harrison Butker is ready to be the NFL’s best kicker

Harrison Butker says he wants to separate himself from other NFL kickers.

Harrison Butker officially tied the record for the longest kick in Kansas City Chiefs history on Sunday night on two separate occasions. If you watched the game, you know that he actually did so three times.

On Sunday night, during the Chiefs overtime win over their rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, Butker was the team’s MVP. Not only did he help salvage a stalled drive during an important second quarter that kept the game within reach from an incredible 58 yards out, but he also hit from the same distance to actually win the game in OT. And when a timeout kept one from being official, he did a third time.

Butker has been a revelation for the Chiefs ever since they first snatched him off of the Carolina Panthers practice squad in 2017, but it’s only in this season that he’s truly come into his own—a specialist with not only a booming leg capable of distant attempts but one who is also deadly accurate.

Last season, Butker made the Pro Bowl for the first time, but he’s been a showcase of consistent excellence for the Chiefs ever since his arrival. It might have taken time for the rest of the league to notice the output, especially because his performances will be overshadowed by other point-scoring players on this same team. However, in 2019, it was clear that Butker was one of the best.

On Sunday night, Butker showed he was even better.

After the Chiefs 23-20 win over L.A., Butker spoke to reporters about his heroics. He described the drive that pushes him to get better and better, and it’s clear he’s been chasing greatness ever since he joined this team.

"“I’ve been accurate throughout my career in 2017, 2018, 2019,” said Butker. “For me to take it to the next level, I have to have some longer kicks. In 2018, my longest was 54 which is okay, kind of middle of the park. Last year, making a 56-yarder was big. But now, as I said, I feel comfortable from 58 and beyond. I think that’s what I’ve got to start doing to separate myself from other kickers in the league is start making longer field goals. I feel confident doing that.”"

When it came to the actual succession of having to re-kick those same attempts, Butker admits he “got a little bit more angry” at each interruption.

"“I think I just got a little bit more angry every kick,” he said. “So the first one, I thought they called timeout and then I realized it was a false start. But going into the second one, they called timeout again. In my head, that’s two timeouts. I think I even looked at the Chargers sideline because I was like, ‘C’mon man, I’m trying to finish this game and get back to Kansas City.’ So that third one, I felt, was my best one. To have two practice kicks before that is only going to help you.”"

There’s a good reason why the Chiefs decided to give Butker a nice five-year extension just a season ago. The Pro Bowl nod in 2019 was only the first of several likely coming to the Chiefs kicker in the next few years, and few teams enjoy such consistency at the position like the Chiefs.

While Butker knows he’s fortunate to play for such a successful franchise, the team also knows how lucky they are to have Butker as their kicker. Both sides are chasing greatness and hopefully it will result in an ability to run it back in 2020.