Chiefs Bring Back Veteran Kicker Justin Tucker While Harrison Butker Misses Shots

Justin Tucker, a kicker with 417 career field goals, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad on Tuesday. The team added the eight-time All-Pro to its roster to provide depth behind Harrison Butker, who has missed six kicks this season. According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, the Kansas City Star first reported the transaction.

Tucker, 36, last played a regular-season game on Jan. 19, 2025. He holds league records for the fastest time to reach 300 career field goals and the fastest to score 1,000 points. His career field goal percentage stands at 89.1. The signing follows a workout process involving three kickers, where Kansas City selected Tucker over former Los Angeles Rams kicker Harrison Mevis.

The addition comes as Butker struggles from long range. He is 9-for-10 from inside 50 yards but has missed six attempts in total this season. In Week 7, a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Butker missed a 58-yard field goal at the end of the first half and a 45-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid described Butker as "off a bit" and said the team needs to fix it.

Questions surround Tucker's recent tenure in the league. The Baltimore Ravens released him in May 2025. In January of that year, The Baltimore Banner reported that six women accused him of sexually inappropriate misconduct at Baltimore-area spas. The number of accusers later increased to 16 across eight spas. Tucker was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2025 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy and went unsigned afterward.

Tucker worked out for the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets during the 2025 offseason but did not sign a contract with any of those teams. He remains the Chiefs' backup option while Butker retains the starting role. The practice squad signing places Tucker in the same building as the starter, a structural change that signals the coaching staff is actively managing the kicking position.