The Chiefs have placed kicker Harrison Butker on injured reserve as he prepares for knee surgery, though they are hoping to have him back in time for the playoffs, according to a source who spoke with The Associated Press on Thursday.
To fill in for Butker for at least the next four weeks, the Chiefs plan to sign Spencer Shrader from the Jets’ practice squad, the source added, requesting anonymity since the team has not yet made an official announcement.
Kansas City (9-0) will face Buffalo (8-2) on Sunday in a game that could play a major role in the AFC playoff race.
Since joining the NFL in 2017, Butker has become the third-most accurate kicker in league history, only behind Justin Tucker and Eddy Pineiro, having made nearly 90% of his field goals.
He has hit 18 of 20 field-goal attempts this season, including a game-winning 51-yard field goal as time expired to give the undefeated Chiefs a 26-25 victory over the Bengals.
Butker also holds the Chiefs’ record for the longest field goal, a 62-yard kick against the Bills in 2022.
The 29-year-old Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion, has made headlines off the field this year as well. In May, he gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas, where he made controversial remarks.
He suggested that many of the women graduating were more excited about getting married and having children, and criticized Catholic leaders for promoting what he called “dangerous gender ideologies” to young people in America.
Butker also criticized Pride Month, a key period for the LGBTQ+ community, and President Joe Biden’s position on abortion.
The NFL distanced itself from Butker’s comments, issuing a statement saying: “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
Later, Butker started a political action committee called the UPRIGHT PAC, which aimed to encourage Christians to vote for “traditional values.” He also publicly supported Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley in the November election, where Hawley won by a wide margin against Democrat Lucas Kunce.
