No Regrets: Andy Reid refuses to use Harrison Butker as a scapegoat for the 54-yard disaster

Andy Reid has refused to make Harrison Butker the scapegoat for the Kansas City Chiefs ’ 28-24 defeat to Denver Broncos , defending his kicker after a missed 54-yard field goal helped swing the game as the head coach instead pointed to the protection breakdown. The Chiefs led by 11 points entering the fourth quarter, but surrendered their advantage as Bo Nix inspired Denver ’s comeback and Butker ’s late miss gave the Broncos an opening, although Kansas City ’s collapse involved far more than one kick.

Asked about the attempt, Reid confessed he understood why his player pushed the ball right as he highlighted Denver ’s pressure and how the protection forced the kicker to adjust his approach, arguing those circumstances mattered when assessing the miss. “I could kind of see what he saw on that as far as he ended up going too far right,” Reid said. “But I see why he went right too. We never talk about the protection on that and the overloads on that, but you have a heavy overload on the left side and penetration there. That’s going to alter a kicker. “I mean, that’s just what you do as a kicker. It’s no different than what quarterbacks do when they’re throwing the football. So sometimes you have to alter the alignment there. So I get it. It just went a little bit too wide on it. But we’ve got to do a better job of that, of the protection for him.” Reid added: “He kind of had to kick it that way to avoid being blocked.”

Reid backs Butker as missed kicks mount

The kick came with Kansas City leading 24-21 and around two and a half minutes remaining as Butker missed wide right from 54 yards, giving Denver possession and the opportunity to complete a decisive scoring drive. Nix needed only two plays, finding rookie Jonah Coleman for a 51-yard reception before the running back scored on a five-yard run and the Broncos took its first lead since the opening quarter, moving ahead 28-24 with 1:56 remaining. Kansas City still reached the Denver one-yard line, but a false-start penalty erased an apparent touchdown pass to Rashee Rice and Malcolm Roach then sacked Patrick Mahomes on fourth down, sealing the result and leaving the Chiefs without a final response. Eyes are looking back to the kicker though as Butker converted 33 of 38 field goals in the 2025 regular season, an 86.8 percent success rate and through seven games in 2026, however, he had made only 12 of 18 attempts, leaving his accuracy at 66.7 percent. Those 11 missed field goals and five missed PAT attempts across the two regular seasons represent 38 potential points Kansas City has failed to collect – a vital load lost in what have been a series of competitive and tight games and the Chiefs have opted to act. The team signed veteran Justin Tucker to their practice squad in October after the Seattle Seahawks loss, creating competition at kicker although the special teams coordinator Dave Toub has nevertheless indicated the organization remains committed to helping Butker recover his form. The defeat dropped Kansas City to 5-2, while Denver improved to 6-2 and moved top of the division and puts the Chiefs under pressure in the AFC race. One thing that is clear: the team need better execution across as the season continues if they hope to win the Super Bowl .