The second week of preseason saw the Kansas City Chiefs engage in a nail-biter to the finish against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A 16-15 loss came down to a last-second field goal attempt, which ultimately did not convert.
A lot of the criticism went toward veteran kicker Harrison Butker for missing a relatively easy shot. But head coach Andy Reid didn’t put too much pressure on him, instead expecting him to iron things out before the start of the regular season.
Harrison Butker Gives Chiefs Highs and Lows
Against the Buccaneers, the Chiefs were willing to trot out several familiar faces for some reps. Veterans like Travis Kelce and new additions like Kenneth Walker III were all on the field to start the game.
However, it didn’t take long for Reid to explore the rest of his depth, taking his regular starters out early in the game. Unsurprisingly, Butker remained the designated kicker throughout the game.
Unfortunately, even with his experience and poise, he couldn’t come through for his team near the end of the game. Getting the ball with over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, with the scoreboard reading 16-15, the Chiefs marched down the field.
Led by Brashard Smith, they moved the ball deep into Tampa Bay territory, where a 4th-and-4 led Reid to place his trust in Butker. However, he couldn’t convert on the 43-yard attempt as the ball sailed wide right.
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From there, Tampa Bay was able to drain out the clock, winning 16-15. Understandably, Butker was heavily criticized for his mistake, particularly after a missed extra point at the end of the third quarter had already taken points off the board for the Chiefs.
But speaking to Charles Goldman, Reid stopped short of blaming the veteran kicker. “I trust him. That happens. He’ll learn from it and move on. He’s made enough of the big ones for us… He’s just got to make it. He’ll make an adjustment there.”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Harrison Butker: “I trust him. That happens. He’ll learn from it and move on. He’s made enough of the big ones for us… He’s just got to make it. He’ll make an adjustment there.”
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) August 23, 2026
Despite the justified anger, Butker was a key reason behind the Chiefs finding themselves where they did. At the end of the first half, he made a historic 69-yard field goal attempt that had the entire roster going crazy and had the Chiefs leading 9-0.
Kent Swanson of the KC Sports Network was quick to highlight the dichotomy of the Butker experience, stating, “Harrison Butker is 0-2 on kicks since nailing the 69-yard field goal.”
Harrison Butker is 0-2 on kicks since nailing a 69 yard field goal.
— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) August 23, 2026
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But for others, it became a chance to criticize some of his most controversial comments. As one fan pointed to his political affiliations, “Hm Harrison Butker wide right…shocker,” another went after his infamous remarks about women holding degrees.
Everytime Harrison Butker misses a kick a beautiful educated woman earns a degree
— Ashlie (@EMT_Ashlie) August 23, 2026
“Every time Harrison Butker misses a kick, a beautiful, educated woman earns a degree.”
Those who were trying to keep the focus on the football side of things specifically were clearly done with the three-time Super Bowl champion.
“I want Harrison Butker cut so [expletive] bad. I’ve been trying to tell y’all. He’s not a good [expletive] kicker. He’s [expletive], and I’ve been saying it from day one; y’all can even go and look at my [expletive] from last year. Too many times his missed XP’s have cost us.”
It remains to be seen if the Chiefs try to go a different route with their kicker if the problems persist with Butker. But given his history with the franchise, the team might be willing to give him a longer leash before looking at other options.
