The Chiefs bring in Justin Tucker because Harrison Butker keeps missing

The Kansas City Chiefs signed Justin Tucker to their practice squad Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It is Tucker's first NFL contract since the league suspended him for 10 games under its personal conduct policy.

The reason is easy to see. Harrison Butker, a fixture on all three of the Chiefs' Super Bowl title teams, has missed five of his 16 field goal tries this season, including two in Sunday's loss in Seattle. He is still the only kicker on the 53-man roster. Tucker is the insurance policy, and now it sits one roster move away.

The workout made the choice easy. Rapoport reported that the Chiefs brought in three kickers Tuesday, Tucker, Harrison Mevis and Ben Sauls, and kept Tucker and Mevis around all day for physicals. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said Tucker went 30 for 30. Rapoport said Tucker's experience and resume won him the spot.

Because Tucker already served the suspension, Pelissero noted, he is eligible to kick Sunday if Kansas City elevates him.

The signing comes with baggage. In February 2025, The Baltimore Banner reported that 16 massage therapists from eight Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers accused Tucker of sexual misconduct between 2012 and 2016. Tucker has repeatedly denied it, calling the allegations "unequivocally false." The Ravens released him in May 2025 with three years left on a four-year, $22 million extension, ending a 13-year run with seven Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. The NFL suspended him two months later, and he served the suspension as a free agent. He worked out for the Saints last November but did not sign.

There is a football question too. Tucker, who turns 37 next month, was coming off the worst season of his career when the Ravens cut him. He made 22 of 30 field goals in 2024, a 73.3% rate that ranked 31st in the league.

So the Chiefs have a kicker who has not kicked in a game since 2024, who was bad the last time he did, and who still looks better to them right now than the kicker on their active roster.

What's next: Watch Kansas City's practice squad elevations before Sunday. If Tucker gets the call, Butker's job is the story of the week.