Tucker signs with Chiefs practice squad to back up Butker

Justin Tucker is back in the NFL, but he is not taking over as the starting kicker. The former Baltimore Ravens captain signed a practice squad deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday. The move serves as a safety net for Harrison Butker, who is struggling with field goal accuracy this season.

Tucker will spend the season on the Chiefs practice squad. Under league rules, a team can elevate a practice squad player to the active roster only a limited number of times. If Butker continues to miss kicks, Kansas City may call on Tucker. However, if the starter performs well, Tucker could spend the rest of the year practicing and waiting.

Butker is dealing with the worst accuracy of his ten-year career. He has converted 11 of his last 16 field goal attempts, a 68.8 percent rate. According to The Baltimore Banner, he has missed four attempts from 50 yards or longer. He also missed one attempt from 45 yards and one extra point. ESPN reported that two of those misses occurred in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Tucker's return to the league follows a 17-month absence. The Ravens cut the kicker in May 2025. He then sat out the entire 2025 season due to a 10-game suspension. The NFL imposed the penalty for violating its personal conduct policy. The suspension stemmed from allegations first reported by The Baltimore Banner in January 2025.

Sixteen massage therapists from eight businesses accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior during sessions between 2012 and 2016. Those years cover his first five seasons in Baltimore. Tucker has denied wrongdoing. In a statement released on January 30, 2025, he called the allegations "unequivocally false." He did not appeal the suspension and did not play a snap in 2025.

Tucker spent 13 seasons with the Ravens after joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012. He holds the franchise record for points with 1,775. He converted 417 of 468 field goals for an 89.1 percent career rate in Baltimore. He won a Super Bowl as a rookie and made seven Pro Bowls. His 2024 season was his weakest, as he converted 22 of 30 field goals, or 73.3 percent.

The Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 draft to fill the void left by Tucker. Baltimore has had a rough start to its own season. The team blew a 13-0 lead in its loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Ravens are not on the Chiefs' regular season schedule. Tucker will not face his former team unless both clubs meet in the playoffs and he is elevated to the game-day roster.

Tucker will turn 37 on November 21. The Chiefs play at Denver on Sunday, November 1. They host the New York Jets on November 8. Tucker worked out for the Jets before this season began. Contract terms for the practice squad deal were not reported.

The Chiefs have not released Butker. The team will decide week by week whether to keep the veteran kicker or promote Tucker. If Butker continues to miss long attempts, the decision to elevate Tucker becomes more likely. The next few games will determine if Tucker steps onto the field in a Kansas City uniform.