“He's struggled a little bit”: Kansas City Chiefs face Harrison Butker dilemma after costly Denver Broncos miss as Justin Tucker waits for his opportunity

The Kansas City Chiefs have a difficult decision to make after Harrison Butker missed a crucial 54-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos. The miss came with 2:31 remaining and gave Denver another chance to take control. The Broncos scored a touchdown two plays later and won 28-24, leaving Kansas City with another painful loss.Butker's position now faces fresh scrutiny, especially after the Chiefs signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad on October 28. Andy Reid has backed Butker publicly, but his earlier comments suggest the coaching staff is no longer treating the starting job as untouchable. Andy Reid's warning puts Harrison Butker's starting job under pressureReid had already raised concerns about Butker's performances before the Denver game. Speaking to reporters on October 28, following the Chiefs' decision to bring in Tucker, the head coach admitted that his regular kicker needed to improve."Right now, his technique's off a bit. It's not as consistent as he wants it. Things happen," Reid said, according to KMBC.The Chiefs coach also explained why the team brought Tucker into the building despite his support for Butker."He's one of my favorite guys," Reid said. "And sometimes things don't go quite the way you want them, and you work on that. So, he understands the business and how it works. And we had a practice squad position open, and so, for security we brought (Tucker) in and put him in that spot that we had open. Butker gets it."Reid then made his expectations clear: "He gets it, and he knows that's part of this business. He's struggled a little bit. He gets it. He needs to pick it up here a little bit."The comments came after Butker missed two field goals against Seattle on October 25. He then missed another against Denver, making his position even harder to defend. Justin Tucker's arrival adds pressure as Chiefs weigh Harrison Butker's contractTucker offers Kansas City an experienced alternative. The seven-time Pro Bowler has converted 89.1% of his career field-goal attempts, although his final season with Baltimore in 2024 was difficult. He made only 22 of 30 attempts.His signing also drew criticism following allegations from 16 massage therapists. Tucker denied the allegations and served a 10-game suspension in 2025 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.Speaking to reporters on October 28, Reid addressed the controversy, saying, "He's done his suspension. ... I'll leave it at that for you." He added that the Chiefs had spoken to people and completed their checks before signing Tucker.Money also complicates Butker's situation. Over The Cap lists his 2026 base salary at $5.805 million, which is fully guaranteed. His four-year extension runs through 2028 and carries a total value of $25.6 million.The Chiefs have not announced a change at kicker. However, with Tucker waiting and Butker struggling, the November 8 game against the New York Jets could become another important test for the veteran.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.