Through the first three weeks of the regular season, one notable concern among Kansas City Chiefs fans is the performance of veteran kicker Harrison Butker. Butker, who entered the 2025 season with a career 88.6% field goal percentage, has not been automatic to start the year.
The 30-year-old kicker has made 77.8% of field goals (7-of-9) and 60% of his extra points (3-of-5) but he has still shown a big leg, knocking down three field goals from beyond 50 yards including a 59-yarder in the season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The discrepancy in Butker’s performance was enough for reporters to ask Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub about the difference between kicking for distance and kicking with accuracy. And Toub’s answer definitely shows there are some concerns as Kansas City wraps up the first month of the season.
“We kick a lot of long kicks in practice. To be more specific with it, we’re going to kick more shorter kicks and fewer longer kicks,” Toub said via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
Chiefs STC Dave Toub Hoping Adjustment with Harrison Butker Pays Off
Chiefs fans were puzzled why Toub wasn’t doing this in the first place, as they believe the constant practicing of long kicks could be part of Butker’s struggles. They know Butker isn’t right when kicking the ball through three games.
In last week’s win over the New York Giants in primetime, Butker went 3-for-4 on field goals, which included a make from 54 yards out. However, the veteran kicker missed a 40-yard field goal wide right, which could’ve extended KC’s lead to 9-0.
Instead, the Giants’ offense took advantage of the good field position and scored a TD on their next drive.
He also missed an extra point late in the fourth quarter, which was wide left. We know that the veteran kicker has a strong leg and can boom it from almost anywhere. But if Butker can’t be depended on from 40 yards and under, that could be a problem.
In the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles, Butker had a chance to put Kansas City on the board first in the opening frame, but missed a 58-yard field goal. Granted, we shouldn’t hold a 58-yard attempt against him because not many guys are accurate from that spot.
However, for his career, Butker has only converted 67.3% of his field goals from 50-plus yards away and struggled from that distance last season (2-of-5).
Chiefs fans hope Toub’s minor adjustment will have a positive impact on Butker and get him back on track heading into a pivotal Week 4 matchup. While distance is good for a kicker, as we’ve seen with Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys, you have to be accurate.
Butker needs to be accurate and automatic from every distance that’s not 50-plus yards out until this Chiefs’ offense is clicking on all cylinders. Until he is, it’s one more thing to worry about as the Chiefs have limped to a 1-2 start.
