The Kansas City Chiefs narrowly staved off the Colts on Sunday Night Football, winning the game on a field goal in overtime. Harrison Butker might have kicked the game-winner, but he also missed a field goal earlier in the game that would have helped the Chiefs avoid the whole overtime thing in the first place.
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride with Butker in recent years. Considering he was once the best kicker in the NFL and was rewarded with a contract that paid him as such (now ranked No. 4 among kickers), the Chiefs expect the absolute best from him.
The past two years were simply not good enough from Butker, and the fans have let him hear it. He finished 2024 with a field goal percentage of 84.0% while missing two extra point attempts; In 2025, he had five missed field goals for a completion percentage of 86.8% and four missed extra points. When Butker was in his prime, he was notching percentages of 89% and above. He hasn't been at that mark since 2023.
While Butker has been serviceable so far in 2026, his missed kick on Sunday night reminds all of us that the team expects more from their kicker. They expect him to nail those kicks and help the Chiefs put points on the board.
Chris Jones goes to bat for Harrison Butker
Chris Jones was not having any sort of negativity surrounding his kicker. While speaking to the media after the game, Jones put anyone who had a problem with Butker on blast and said he was sick and tired of people criticizing him.
"Listen, they talk about my kicker like, I'm not gonna say y'all. But y'all as a whole down my kicker last year, and I just got two middle fingers to y'all. I love Butker, and I trust in Butker, and I think Butker is the best kicker in the league, and I'm gonna continue to support my kicker. Listen, nobody is perfect. Even though we want Butker to make them all, sometimes you're not, and it's just the cycle of life. That's where adversity comes in. That's why I support Butker, 'cause he stands tall every time, and he faces it like a man. Two middle fingers to anybody who doubts my kicker."
It makes sense why Jones is jumping in here. Butker is his teammate, and he's going to defend his teammate and make sure he knows that Jones has his back. On the other hand, Jones also has to understand why people are frustrated with Butker. He's getting paid like one of the NFL's best kickers, yet he's not always performing like one.
Harrison Butker still has something to prove
Now it's worth noting that Butker did make the kick that mattered the most, both of which came in overtime. The first was to take the lead before the Colts had a shot to either tie or win the game and the second was the eventual game-winner. Still, as mentioned above, had Butker converted the field goal he missed, the Chiefs wouldn't even have to go to overtime. That kick was from 51 yards away but we've seen Butker make those in his sleep before.
With the Chiefs sitting at 2-0 and looking like their old selves again (at least offensively), it's up to Butker to make sure he doesn't mess up a good thing. If the game comes down to a game-winning kick or the Chiefs lose a game by three or fewer points, the criticisms are only going to grow louder. It's up to Butker to prove Jones right.
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