Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker underwent surgery on Friday to fix the meniscus in his left, non-kicking knee. Despite this, coach Andy Reid said after practice that the team hopes Butker will be able to return later this season.
To replace Butker for at least the next four weeks, the Chiefs signed Spencer Shrader from the Jets’ practice squad. Shrader has played in two games, making all of his extra point attempts (3 for 3) for Indianapolis against Houston, and hitting 2 of 2 field goals for New York against Arizona.
The unbeaten Chiefs (9-0) are set to face Buffalo (8-2) in an important game for the AFC’s top playoff spot.
“He’s a young guy, so his resume isn’t long, but the ones he’s done he’s done a good job with,” Reid said about Shrader, who kicked in college at South Florida and Notre Dame. “He’s got a very strong leg and he’s done well.”
Since joining the NFL in 2017, Butker has been the third-most accurate kicker in league history, only behind Justin Tucker and Eddy Pineiro. He has made nearly 90% of his kicks.
This season, he’s made 18 of 20 field-goal attempts, including a 51-yarder as time expired to help the Chiefs beat the Bengals 26-25. Butker also holds the franchise record for the longest field goal, a 62-yarder against the Bills in 2022.
“He’s done phenomenal. He’s a great kicker. Arguably going to be a Hall of Fame kicker going forward,” Reid said. “But again, we welcome this kid in and give him a shot.”
Reid also mentioned that running back Isiah Pacheco, who is recovering from ankle surgery, and pass rusher Charles Omenihu, who is coming back from a torn ACL, both made it through their first week of practice without any issues.
Neither player is expected to play in Buffalo, but both could be ready for the following week’s game in Carolina.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has been out with a hamstring injury for nearly a month, had a good week of practice and is expected to play against Buffalo. Before his injury, Smith-Schuster had seven catches for 130 yards in a win over New Orleans.
“JuJu had a good week,” Reid said.
