Rumors of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s decline at age 31 have been greatly exaggerated.
Just one week after impressing fans with a 59-yard field goal in the preseason, Butker showed that his leg is not only at full strength, but possibly at a record-setting strength. Right before halftime of today’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chiefs found themselves on the logo with three seconds left.
Rather than go for a Hail Mary, head coach Andy Reid sent out Butker and the special teams unit for a 69-yard field goal attempt. Butker’s career long was a 62-yard field goal back in 2022.
Officially, 62 yards is still his career high. Unofficially, Butker drilled the 69-yarder to give the Chiefs a 9-0 lead at halftime and one of the longest field goals in NFL history.
Take a look:
What’s crazier is that kick didn’t just squeak in. It would have been good from 70-75 yards out.
The kick was so incredible that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ran onto the field along with several other players to congratulate Butker.
NFL on Notice
Butker being back to form after a down year is one thing. But Butker being able to make field goals from midfield is a pretty big problem for the rest of the league.
While Butker has only a 66-percent conversion rate from beyond 50 yards, NFL teams now have to be wary of giving up almost any amount of yardage to the Chiefs for fear that they will score a field goal. Any time the Chiefs get a touchback on a kickoff, they’ll only need about 13-15 yards to get into his field goal range.
For a Chiefs team that already has one of the most prolific offenses in the league during a bad year, adding a kicker who can get points from that distance makes them downright dangerous.
