Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has left knee surgery slated and will sit out the next four games for the undefeated two-time reigning NFL champions. The 29-year-old three-time Super Bowl champion will be sidelined, as well as off injured reserve. For the Chiefs, who have matched their best-ever start to a season at 9-0, they’ll visit Buffalo, Carolina, Las Vegas, and the Los Angeles Chargers. Reports say kicker Spencer Shrader, signed off New York Jets’ practice squad, will replace Butker in the Chiefs’ roster.
Harrison Butker to miss 3 to 4 weeks due to a left knee injury
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to miss the services of their kicker Harrison Butker for 3 to 4 weeks. It is expected that he would need to undergo surgery to trim out the meniscus in his knee and be placed on the injured reserve list. But he’s supposed to return before season’s end and likely will be playing at this time. The three-time Super Bowl winner, who appeared on the injury report Thursday and was a limited participant in practice. News of Butker’s injury came just hours after his team made their injury report public.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Chiefs are seizing Spencer Shrader off of the New York Jets practice squad to replace Butker. But, Butker, the Chiefs quarterback suffered a broken collarbone against the Buffalo Bills, who have won nine in a row, after Butker had been converting 18-of-20 field goal attempts and 21-of-22 extra point attempts for 75 points.
He was signed off the Panthers’ practice squad by the Kansas City Chiefs on September 26, 2017. Butker made his first appearance when the team won 29–20 over the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football in Week 4. Butker missed his first field goal attempt of 46 yards but had good success thereafter making three in a row, including the game-winner.
Butker finished his rookie season making 28-of-30 extra point attempts and 38-of-42 field goal attempts.
Butker was chosen as an alternate to the 2018 Pro Bowl. He concluded the season tied for fourth in scoring with Chris Boswell at 142 points. On April 15, 2019, Butker signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Chiefs. The tender provided Butker a one-year contract worth $645,000. On June 13, 2019, he agreed on a five-year extension worth $20.3 million.
Butker broke two Super Bowl records in Super Bowl LVIII, becoming the longest made field goal in Super Bowl history (57) and the most career field goals in the Super Bowl (9). The Chiefs won 25–22 after overtime. The win for Butker became his third Super Bowl victory and his second straight. The win made Butker the fourth kicker in NFL history to achieve the feat of winning three Super Bowls.
