KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker stands tied for the NFL lead in missed field goals in 2026, the organization is bringing in some backup.
According to several reports, the Chiefs are signing eight-time All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad. The news was first reported by The Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell and confirmed by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during his weekly Wednesday press conference.
Tucker is the NFL’s second all-time leader in made field goal percentage -- a list that Butker is in the top 5 of as well -- but has not been employed since the Baltimore Ravens released him in May 2025. Tucker’s release came after reports of allegations of improper conduct during massage therapy sessions spanning from 2012 to 2016 surfaced.
The NFL investigated the claims and suspended Tucker 10 games under the personal conduct policy despite the kicker never facing formal criminal charges.
“He’s done his suspension,” Reid said. “Took care of that business there. I’ll leave it at that for you.”
ADVERTISEMENT
When faced with a follow-up question about another player with a checkered past getting a second chance with the Chiefs, Reid said, “I try to do homework on it. (Tucker), he served a suspension.”
Despite the signing, Butker remains on the Chiefs’ active 53-man roster. Tucker’s signing comes three days after Butker missed field goals from 58 and 45 yards out in a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. This season, Butker is tied with Green Bay Packers kicker Trey Smack and New York Giants kicker Dominic Zvada for the most missed field goals in the NFL with 5.
“Harrison will probably go this week,” Reid said, noting Butker would get the majority of reps in practice this week when asked whether Tucker could be ready to play Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos.
Butker is 11-for-16 on field goal attempts in 2026, but has missed an extra point or field goal in 15 of his last 26 regular season games.
Tucker was also at the center of a pregame spat with Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce prior to the 2023 AFC Championship Game in Baltimore.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the time, Kelce said Tucker violated an unwritten rule in the NFL by disrupting the Chiefs’ warmups with the placement of his helmet.
“If you want to be a f---ing d--- about it, you keep your helmet and your football and your f---ing kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up . ... If you’re not going to pick that up, I’ll happily move that for you,” Kelce said on New Heights about the incident.
On Wednesday, Mahomes downplayed the situation as a heat-of-the-battle moment.
“We have not had a lot of conversations because he was on the Ravens and I was on the Chiefs, but it wasn’t like we had any beef or anything,” Mahomes said. “I think that moment was competitors being competitors. It was a big moment for everybody’s career and you’re playing the AFC Championship Game. He’s been a big-time kicker for a long time and me and Trav were obviously competing and wanted to win. That stuff happened but then you move on from that. At the end of the day we’re just playing a game and you want to win and want to compete but it wasn’t like we had some long-standing beef that carried over after the game.”
Mahomes said he tries not to get wrapped up in the highs and lows of Chiefs signings in-season.
“We have a lot of people that are added in and out,” the Chiefs quarterback said, “I try not to get too high or too low on anything but I know (general manager Brett Veach) and them do a great job of bringing great players in.
“For me, it’s about the Denver Broncos and moving on and continuing to get better because we have a lot of stuff that we have to clean up.”
The 36-year-old will turn 37 in late November and joins the practice squad ahead of Kansas City’s Week 8 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
When the news was announced, the call and text lines at 96.5 The Fan were buzzing. Many weren’t happy with the decision.
“I can’t say what I thought on the radio,” said one caller. “”When is winning not going to be the most important thing?"
ADVERTISEMENT
“I think there’s been a lot of backlash and it’s certainly understandable,” said Carrington Harrison, the host of The Drive. “Justin Tucker has some very serious allegations against him.”
It was one of the major topics of discussion on Wednesday for several shows. Harrison says he can see the conversation from multiple sides.
“I don’t think the Chiefs are in line with these actions, but I think the Chiefs are in a results-oriented business,” said Harrison. “The Chiefs have said, I think through their actions over the years, that we are not the moral police here. We’re trying to build the most competitive football team that we can and try to win championships and Super Bowls. But I also feel until there is action to not support the Chiefs, not buy tickets, not buy jerseys, not watch them on Sunday, what is going to change?”
He believes a majority of fans will still tune in to the game on Sunday.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.