Overview
- Head coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday that Harrison Butker will start for the Chiefs in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons and that the team will continue to evaluate the position week by week.
- Butker has struggled through a sharp drop in accuracy, leading the NFL with seven missed field goals this season and 17 missed kicks since the start of 2025, and he was loudly booed after two long misses in Week 9.
- Kansas City signed veteran Justin Tucker to its practice squad in late October after an impressive workout, creating an immediate internal replacement who can be elevated under practice-squad rules.
- Tucker’s prior 10-game NFL suspension and the allegations that prompted it have made his presence a public‑relations complication for the Chiefs even as coaches describe his role as insurance and mentorship for Butker.
- Keeping Butker buys the team time but raises roster risk ahead of the playoff push because practice‑squad rules let any other team sign Tucker and the kicking inconsistency reduces margin for error in close games.