KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Longtime Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub expressed rather emphatically Thursday that Harrison Butker is the team's kicker despite the team signing Justin Tucker, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2024, to their practice squad.
"We're trying to improve and get Butker right," Toub said. "That's what this whole thing is about. He's our kicker. He went 10 for 10 yesterday with Tucker standing right there. It was a windy day. It was 28 miles an hour gusts yesterday. That's a good thing. We're going to keep working it."
Butker, 31, is expected to be in uniform during Sunday's game when the Chiefs face the Denver Broncos, a game that will determine who is in first place in the AFC West division. Last week, in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Butker missed two field goals, one from 58 yards and another from 45 yards. This season, Butker has missed five of 16 field goal attempts.
"[My] warmup wasn't great," Butker said after Sunday's game. "It's just something you've got to roll with and try to fix in a game and do your best. The 58-yarder was just short. The 45-yarder at the end, you've just got to make it. [I] just pushed it [wide right].
"I'm at my best when I'm smooth and not over swinging. I don't think power has been an issue. I think when I miss, it's because I'm swinging too hard."
Tucker, 37, didn't play last season. As a free agent, he served a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists from eight high-end spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore area, according to a report by The Baltimore Banner in February 2025. Tucker's alleged misconduct reportedly occurred between 2012 and 2016, during Tucker's first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
One massage therapist who was a key source for The Banner's investigation called Tucker's return to the league "a sad day for all the victims." The therapists requested anonymity to protect their privacy because they feared retaliation from the Ravens organization or fans.
The Ravens released Tucker in May 2025. Two months later, the NFL suspended Tucker. In November, after he was eligible for reinstatement, Tucker had his first tryout with the New Orleans Saints.
Before adding Tucker, a five-time All-Pro, Toub led the Chiefs' three-man workout Tuesday, a competition that also included Harrison Mevis and Ben Sauls.
"He's a good kicker," Toub said of Tucker. "All special teams coaches talk. He had four workouts before we brought him in. The word was that he was hitting it great. I wanted to see it. I always thought he was a great kicker and those two guys, Harrison and [Justin], idolized each other. He did his 10-game suspension, so he was available.
"I made a grueling workout for these guys. I had a 30 kick [tryout] -- 10 extra points, seven kicks over 50 [yards] and one was a 60-yarder. [Tucker] made every kick. Not only did he make them, he was accurate. He was off-the-charts good. That's the reason we signed him to the practice squad."
The last time Tucker played in the league, in 2024, he had the worst season of his career. He missed 10 total kicks that season -- three more than in any previous season -- and his 73.3% conversion rate (22-of-30) on field goals ranked 31st in the NFL.
"He went through some issues," Toub said of Tucker. "He missed a certain amount of kicks in 2023 and 2024. But he had a lot of things going on at that time, mentally. He's come back and he's kicking great."
While serving as insurance for the Chiefs, Tucker also began collaborating with Butker during Wednesday's practice in hopes of offering advice and feedback on kicking techniques.
"I'm a coach; I'm not a kicking guy," Toub said. "I don't speak that language like those guys do. Yesterday was unbelievable, those two guys. They were talking about issues and it's been great. They're professionals. That part of it has been good.
"It's like a golfer. You have to have a combination of technique and then the mental toughness to be repetitive. The ones you miss, there's nothing you can do about them. You missed them. It's over. It's all about going forward. What's he going to do now? That's the point we're trying to get Butker to."
If Butker continues his struggles against the Broncos, Reid suggested Wednesday it's possible that Tucker could be the Chiefs' kicker the following week against the New York Jets. Toub explained that one reason to sign Tucker to the practice squad was to give him practices to build the kicking operation with long snapper James Winchester and punter Matt Araiza in case he's needed in an upcoming game.
Even before the Chiefs signed Tucker, Toub made sure to spend time with Butker in the locker room after Sunday's game to verbalize his support. Before Butker became a fixture in the Chiefs' three Super Bowl championship teams, Toub was instrumental in giving him the opportunity to begin his NFL career in 2017, when the team signed him to their active roster from the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
"I'm very thankful to have been with him for such a long time and he's my biggest supporter," Butker said of Toub. "He pushes me to be my best. Every kick matters. I've got to be better."