Andy Reid Sticks With Harrison Butker Despite Performance Slump

Andy Reid is sticking with Harrison Butker despite a slump in performance from the Chiefs' kicker.

The decision, announced Wednesday, shows a fundamental aspect of the head coach's leadership that has fueled both his historic success and his most controversial personnel choices.

The Kansas City Star reported that Butker has struggled through a difficult stretch, failing 17 times over the last two seasons. This season alone, he has missed seven field-goal attempts and one PAT, a puzzling decline for a player who was a cornerstone of three Super Bowl title runs for the franchise.

Even as the team sought insurance by signing Justin Tucker to the practice squad late last month, Reid remains committed to his veteran kicker. The move for Tucker, who dealt with a 10-game suspension last year following allegations of sexual misconduct, was viewed as a way to prod Butker back to form while providing a safety net.

Andy Reid Sticks With Harrison Butker Despite Performance Slump

“I’m going to stick with Butker this week, and we’ll go from there,” Reid said. He said that players often experience “peaks-and-valley things” and emphasized the need to give him a chance to work through them.

The weight of a second chance

Reid’s coaching philosophy is deeply rooted in a belief in redemption, a trait influenced by his faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This perspective often leads him to prioritize loyalty over immediate statistical corrections.

Andy Reid talks Josh Downs, 'sticking by' Harrison Butker — KCTV5 News

During a 2025 training camp, Reid touched on this worldview while speaking from his Missouri Western dorm room. “Don’t judge,” he said, adding that a person is “here to teach.”

This tendency toward patience has shaped the trajectory of the Chiefs’ roster for years. It is a pattern seen in several high-stakes decisions that have defined his tenure in Kansas City:

The hiring of Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator, a move that stabilized a leaking defense and helped secure five Super Bowl berths.
The decision to bring back Kareem Hunt in 2024, following his departure from Cleveland after a domestic violence incident.
The trade for wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who eventually delivered a Super Bowl-record 65-yard punt return.

While these moves have frequently resulted in championships, they also expose a potential blind spot. Critics argue that the line between being resolute and being stubborn is thin, especially when performance metrics suggest a player has reached a breaking point.

Risks in the pursuit of redemption

The immediate stakes are visible on the scoreboard. During the game against the New York Jets on Nov. 8, 2026, Butker missed a 51-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. While the Chiefs eventually won the game 35-12, the miss occurred at a critical juncture when the score was a narrow 14-12.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Harrison Butker and kicking situation: 'Week by week' — KMBC 9

In the last two weeks, Butker has made only one of three field-goal attempts. His recent struggles have forced the coaching staff to balance the emotional weight of loyalty against the cold reality of professional football, where specialized roles like kicking leave very little margin for error.

The “so what” for the Chiefs’ organization is clear: if Butker’s slump persists, the team’s ability to win close games—the very games that define a championship season—could be compromised. The margin for error in the NFL is razor-thin, and a kicker who cannot convert in the fourth quarter becomes a liability that even a legendary coach may struggle to defend.

Some analysts suggest that Reid’s approach is what makes him one of the winningest coaches in history, as players are more willing to play through mistakes for a coach who won’t turn on them. Kadarius Toney echoed this sentiment after the Chiefs’ win in Super Bowl LVII, noting the impact of Reid’s temperament.

“He gave me opportunity,” Toney said. “I mean, most coaches, anything (goes) wrong, they hissy-fit, cry, complain or whatever, you know? Him, you mess up anything, he’ll come over and crack a joke with you. … He’s coming back to you if you mess up anything.”

It is unclear whether this patience with Butker will result in a successful reboot or a costly error. The question is whether the kicker can find his form before the team’s season is decided by the very misses he is currently struggling to avoid.

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