Harrison Mevis disaster is reminder of how lucky Chiefs are to have Harrison Butker

Harrison Butker has had a few bumps and bruises on his way to this point in his career, on and off the field, but this past Monday's placekicking performance should be a humbling reminder to Chiefs Kingdom that "Buttkicker" is a godsend in this day and age of high-pressure kicking.

That's because the "Thicker Kicker" out of Mizzou, Harrison Mevis, made a mess of himself in some big moments on his home field against Buffalo. Mevis shanked a 50-yard field goal halfway through the first quarter that would have tied the game at 3-3, which would eventually be a very costly missed opportunity.

Although nothing was bigger than the partially blocked kick in overtime (below) nearly three hours later, which gave the Bills the ball back for their eventual game-winning kick four minutes later.

Those two misses (yes, partially blocked kicks count as misses) were his third and fourth of the season, bringing his percentage down to 55.6% on the season. Those two misses also cost him his job, as he was released early Tuesday morning, most likely having been informed the night before in the locker room.

Even with some rough edges, Butker is better than most

Butker's never been perfect, but he's been pretty damn close since entering the league in 2017. He's had the second-most field goals made (FGM) in the regular season since his rookie year, tying Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell with 258—just eight behind Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn (266).

Those 258 field goals on 293 attempts (88.1%) all came in just 141 games, compared to Fairbairn's 143 and Boswell's 145. Just saying.

They also came during injury-laden seasons in 2022 and 2024 with ankle sprains and meniscus surgery, both leading to lingering issues on the field when he continually fell to his knees after kicking.

Butker's postseason numbers make his case even stronger

Now add in the 22 extra playoff games, which sounds crazy when said out loud, and Butker is firmly in the lead with 294 made field goals over Fairbairn's 280 and Seattle's Jason Myers' 262.

His 333 attempts are also the most across all his collective games, which is a lot to demand out of a single kicker. Even then, through injuries and all, he leads the league in field goal percentage (88.3%) among kickers with at least 250 attempts.

On top of all these prophetic, mind-blowing statistics, it's Butker alone at the top of another list that is perhaps the most important: most points scored by a player. Yes, his 1,331 points are well ahead of second-place Myers (1,171) and are a significant reason to thank GM Brett Veach and any deity you prefer for the presence of Butker on the Chiefs—even if he makes Chiefs Kingdom scream sometimes.

Why it's okay to be mad at Butker sometimes

Butker's biggest bugaboo has always been the extra points, not field goals like Mevis. That's why Chiefs fans have always had a collective, subconscious groan when he can crank out multiple 50-plus-yard field goals in a single game or go 6-for-6 in the cold.

Despite making 449 extra points, 32 more than the next-best kicker (Jake Elliott), his 94.3% is second-worst among all kickers with at least 300 extra-point attempts.

That low success percentage is something that many fans unfairly hold higher than his outstanding playoff performances and overall success rate, but there are other obvious reasons that Butker is not appreciated.

His speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, back in 2024 stirred a lot of questions, even if many of them were reaches, politically motivated, or simply uncalled for. It created the first fissure that Taylor Swift fans found in football, creating a viral anti-Butker and pro-Butker social media blast that engulfed timelines of all kinds for weeks.

A year later, Butker joined President Trump, who can be viewed as controversial and polarizing, to help reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test. Again, the social media onslaught returned to pro-Butker and anti-Butker rhetoric that eventually led to a top-three season for the kicker in terms of FGM (33).

Butker's contract has brought another layer of scrutiny

If his political views and his extra-point miscues don't light a fire under Chiefs Kingdom, it is usually his contract that clicks the stovetop on. The four-year deal worth up to $25.6 million he signed back in August 2024 came with $17.75 million guaranteed and came with a high expectation level.

That expectation level, for the most part, has been reached when it comes to his consistency in big games and from anywhere past the 20-yard line. But almost immediately after signing the deal that made him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, he injured his non-kicking leg. That was not a good start to his contract.

Add in the drop in success rate from 70% to 46.6% from 50-plus yards out and the fact that he had his worst season from an extra-point standpoint (88.6% made), and it's easy to see why some people simply don't love the contract at the end of the day.

Nonetheless, he has a Super Bowl record for the longest made field goal (57 yards) and is a three-time Super Bowl champion largely because of his leg—something every player not named Mahomes should be thanking Butker for every single day. He's a future Ring of Honor member, has a possible Hall of Fame case, and is one of the best kickers to play the modern game of football—and Chiefs Kingdom should be thrilled that he is still so consistent even after a decade's worth of kicks.

One more thing...

On top of the Super Bowl trophies, the game-winning kicks, and the overall success that Butker has brought to Kansas City this past decade, he has also set up a foundation dedicated to multiple facets of philanthropy.

The Harrison Butker Family Foundation works toward stopping human trafficking, supporting less fortunate Kansans and Missourians, and supporting pro-life advocacy across the country.

Not only that, Butker was the first to donate to the family of the woman who was tragically killed at the Chiefs' Super Bowl rally while wearing his jersey.

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