Harrison Butker Is 'Off a Bit,' and the Chiefs Can't Keep Waiting for the Kicks to Come Back

Chiefs Kingdom, nobody wants to pile on a kicker after a 20-3 loss, the first of the season. But the misses are adding up, and it's fair to ask how long the Chiefs can wait.

Our Take: Andy Reid is right to back Harrison Butker in public. In private, the Chiefs need a short leash and a plan, because close games are coming and points are hard enough to find right now.

Sunday night, Butker missed from 58 yards (short) and 45 yards (wide right), sandwiched around a make from 50, per Sports Illustrated. According to AP's Josh Dubow, as cited by SI, Butker's 15 missed kicks since the start of last season lead the NFL.

Reid didn't dodge it. "He's off a bit, so got to fix it," Reid said, per KMBC. Butker owned it too: "Life of a kicker, it either goes in or it doesn't." He also said, "Every kick matters," and that he has to be better.

Butker called special teams coordinator Dave Toub "my biggest supporter," per KMBC. That support matters, but the fix has to show up on Sundays, not just in practice.

What to watch: Butker's practice reps this week and whether the Chiefs bring in a kicker for a workout. Nothing has been reported on that front, and we're not saying they will. But a couple more misses and that conversation starts on its own.

Sources: KMBC, Sports Illustrated