Elliott Fry, Johnny Townsend will remain on KC Chiefs ‘shortlist’

Coming into Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs were forced to deal with numerous personnel changes as players were sitting on the COVID reserve list (or due to other injuries) that left some positions shortchanged—some more than others. Perhaps no single overall unit was affected as much, however, as the team’s specialists at kicker and punter.

Kicker Harrison Butker is known for his blend of both power and accuracy and his presence is a real asset for the Chiefs in multiple ways. The idea of potentially losing Butker was a serious question as COVID spread more throughout the NFL, so the team added Elliott Fry to the practice squad for good measure.

The good news is that it worked out as expected for the team since Butker was subsequently placed on the team’s COVID reserve list following a positive test earlier this month. Butker was designated as out for Week 16 before others who might have been able to test back in, so the Chiefs knew they’d have to roll with a new kicker against the Steelers in an important game.

Special teams coach Dave Toub says both Elliott Fry and Johnny Townsend will be on the Kansas City Chiefs’ shortlist going forward.

What they didn’t realize until just shortly before the game was that kicker wasn’t the only spot in which special teams would be tested. Instead, second-year punter Tommy Townsend, who has had a very strong year for the Chiefs, also tested positive and was shelved for the game. It was interesting to see the Chiefs call on Tommy’s brother, Johnny Townsend, to be the replacement.

Heading into that Sunday afternoon contest, the Chiefs might have been nervous about their substitute specialists, but it turns out they had no reason to be. The Chiefs were well-prepared with names to call on just in case and those names stepped up as hoped when presented with the opportunity. Perhaps that’s why Toub told reporters that both Fry and Johnny Townsend would stay on the team’s “shortlist” going forward.

"“Before they left, in their exit interview, I told them, ‘You guys are on our shortlist.’ If something happened, they would be able to be plugged right in. In a heartbeat, I would take both of them back. That’s a no-brainer for us because they know our system; they’ve proven themselves. I think it’s going to help them going forward, whether it’s here or anywhere else.”"

On the night, Fry converted three of four field goal attempts and three of four extra points. Those aren’t superb stats by any means, but the box score fails to take into account the frightening weather that made it tough for both sides. As for Townsend, he kicked two punts for 91 yards, including a deepest of 50 on the night.

As hard as it can be for teams to find a reliable punter or kicker, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see another franchise grab a guy well-liked by Dave Toub. That’s the cost of doing business these days for K.C. For Fry and/or Townsend, we hope to see further opps for each young player as the Chiefs move back to their starting core in Week 17 and beyond.