Amid Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's ongoing struggles, the franchise made a surprising move this morning by signing Justin Tucker to the practice squad. The former Baltimore Ravens standout hasn't kicked in the NFL since the 2024 season after serving a suspension for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

Many Kansas City fans thought it was well overdue for the team to bring someone in to make Butker's job less secure. However, the signing has already faced significant backlash from the media. He was cut by Baltimore in May 2025 due to a combination of his declining performance and the allegations of sexual misconduct involving 16 massage therapists.

When head coach Andy Reid stepped to the podium for his press conference today, he fielded questions about Tucker for approximately five consecutive minutes. One of the more notable questions he faced was about the message Tucker's signing sends to female Chiefs fans.

"He's done his suspension. Took care of that business there," Reid responded. "I'll leave it at that for you."

Reid emphasized that he and the front office had done extensive homework on Tucker's past before they decided to offer him a spot on the practice squad. He wouldn't quite elaborate on what this "homework" entailed, but insisted the team had spoken with multiple people before making its decision.

"We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can," Reid said. "Talked to a lot of people to make sure things are okay."

KC's head coach said that the team brought in three kickers earlier this week to try out for a spot. Reid believes that Tucker was the best of the bunch by a long shot. He wasn't exactly effective in his last full season when he finished with a subpar 73.3% field goal percentage (22-for-30), and it's been a while since he's kicked in live action.

If there's anything this signing does, it is to make it clear that Butker's future with the team is no longer guaranteed. He's cost the Chiefs too many points in recent years for this situation to be ignored any longer. Since the start of the 2025 campaign, Butker's 15 missed kicks and extra points are the most of any player in the NFL.

Even after bringing Tucker on board, Reid maintains that he is still confident in his longtime placekicker and believes his recent shortcomings stem from inconsistent form and technique rather than a mental issue.

"Listen, we love Harrison. I've told you before, he's one of my favorite guys," he said about Butker. "Sometimes, things don't go quite the way you want them, and you work on that. He understands the business and how it works. We had a practice squad position open, so for security, we brought [Tucker] in and put him in that spot. Butker gets it and he knows that's part of the business."

He also confirmed that the "up-and-down" Butker will receive most of the first-team reps in remaining practices leading up to the Broncos game and that he should be the only kicker active this Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes Reacts to Justin Tucker Signing

Coincidentally, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Tucker have a history that goes beyond their time spent on opposing sidelines. The two (and Travis Kelce) were famously involved in a brief pregame confrontation over warm-up space in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, where KC would advance to Super Bowl LVIII in a 17-10 victory.

While there appeared to be bad blood between the two parties at the time, Mahomes chalked it up to competition and brushed the tension aside.

"We haven't had a lot of conversations because he was on the Ravens, but it wasn't like we ever had any beef," Mahomes confirmed today. "At that moment, it was just competitors being competitors. He's been a big-time kicker for a long time... At the end of the day, we're just playing a game, and you want to compete and win."

Mahomes, who has always done an excellent job avoiding controversial answers to the media, wouldn't go in-depth on his thoughts about Tucker's signing and reaffirmed his trust in the front office.

"We have a lot people that have been added in and out," Mahomes stated. "I try not go get too high or low or anything. I know [Brett] Veach does a great job of bringing players in."

There was always going to be backlash over the Chiefs signing a shunned player whose NFL career appeared to be all but over. We'll soon find out whether Tucker is ever elevated to the 53-man roster and if he'll be an outside distraction moving forward.