Kansas City Chiefs trade candidates to clear cap space

Harrison Butker - Saves $3,676,471

There are some NFL positions that seem replaceable at any given moment. Long snapper, punter, and low-level guard even. That once extended to kickers, but not so much anymore. Many teams will make do with a carousel at kicker, cycling through multiple players at the position before the season is over. These are the teams that are not only bit by the injury bug but also ones whose seasons do not rely on a single field goal or those high-leverage situations, period. The Chiefs rely on their kicker at times, and Harrison Butker is not carrying his cap hit.

Butker has been a top-10 kicker in the league every single season since 2017. But wow, 2022 was rough. He posted a 77.4% field goal percentage, the worst in his career by more than ten percentage points. Plus, his struggles extended beyond 40-yard attempts, and that is the sweet spot where teams should rely on their kickers to have a decent chance. Rather, Butker was a cool 64.7% beyond that range, which is well below the all-time average of 73.9%. If the Chiefs have to put their trust in the kicker, Butker is not the clear kicker to trust.

His $5.1 million cap hit is the fifth-highest amongst all NFL kickers, and that begs the question once again: is Butker a top-five or even a top-10 kicker entering the 2023 season? If the Chiefs do not believe he is, they need to evaluate his roster spot thoroughly and bring in some serious camp competition. Butker needs to prove his worth, and if he is just an average kicker, the Chiefs need to look at offloading him immediately.