Nine of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 12 games played this season have been decided by one score. With the Chiefs constantly slipping by, a reliable kicker is one of the most important weapons in close games.
In Harrison Butker, the Chiefs have one of the NFL‘s most reliable kickers. For now, though, Kansas City is making do without its All-Pro candidate. Here are the latest updates on Butker and how the team is dealing with his absence.
What Is Harrison Butker’s Injury?
Butker was seemingly dealing with some type of leg injury throughout the season. He had a curious follow through that caused him to fall to the ground after many of his kicks, unless that was a new technique — or maybe the two were not mutually exclusive.
Eventually, Butker and the Chiefs decided to address the injury with a medical procedure. His last game was Week 10 vs. the Denver Broncos, after which he underwent a procedure to trim the meniscus in his left knee.
While it’s good that the injury is in his non-kicking leg, the procedure and subsequent recovery are such that Kansas City was forced to place Butker on short-term injured reserve. And given how much stress Butker was putting on his plant leg, it’s no surprise he needs multiple weeks to return to full strength.
When Will Butker Return From Injury?
Recovery timelines can vary from athlete to athlete, even when dealing with the same injury type and surgery to fix it. In Butker’s case, the timeline could be relatively short, so it’s expected the Chiefs will have their regular kicker back in time for the stretch run and the postseason.
In the meantime, Butker’s placement on the short-term injured reserve means he must miss at least four games. That puts Butker on the sidelines through the Chiefs’ Week 14 game, with a return possible for a Week 15 contest at the Cleveland Browns.
Upon his return, close attention will be paid to Butker’s performance. This season, Butker was 18/20 on field goals (90%), including a perfect 16/16 below 50 yards. With Justin Tucker’s recent struggles, Butker’s career field goal percentage of 89.2% is the highest in NFL history.
How Will Butker’s Absence Impact the Chiefs?
Needing a replacement for Butker, the Chiefs turned to the New York Jets’ practice squad and signed 25-year-old undrafted rookie free agent Spencer Shrader. In two games with Kansas City, Shrader was perfect, connecting on six point-after-touchdown attempts and three field goals.
However, Shrader suffered a right hamstring injury during a private workout on the Monday before the team’s Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. With the short turnaround for the Black Friday game, Shrader was declared out, and the Chiefs signed veteran kicker Matthew Wright.
Against the Raiders, Wright went 4 of 5 on field goals and made his only extra-point attempt in a busy debut. The 28-year-old has kicked for five teams in his career, including the San Francisco 49ers for one game earlier this season. Yet, Wright dislocated his shoulder at the end of the Niners’ Week 6 game vs. the Seattle Seahawks, cutting his San Francisco stint short.
In the meantime, the Chiefs will need another kicker for at least one more game, even if Butker returns when first eligible in Week 15. Shrader would seemingly have a chance to return, given that he wasn’t placed on IR or released. However, he’ll likely need to return to practice for that to come to fruition.