Butker missed two in Week 7, and now Justin Tucker is on the practice squad

Kansas City signed Justin Tucker to the practice squad on Wednesday, two days after Harrison Butker missed two field goals in the 3-20 loss to Seattle. Tucker has not kicked in the NFL since 2024, when he was removed from Baltimore following a violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

Tucker spent the better part of a decade as the most accurate kicker in NFL history, a legitimate argument for the best at the position ever. That résumé is why his name still carries weight even after two years away. Kansas City isn't signing him for nostalgia — they're signing him because Butker's Week 7 performance raised a real question about reliability, and the team has 11 games left with a division lead to protect.

For now it's a practice squad move, which means Tucker is insurance rather than a replacement. But the optics are plain enough. When a team with a 5-1 record and playoff positioning goes out and adds a kicker two days after a loss, the message to the incumbent is obvious.