The Kansas City Chiefs brought in Justin Tucker amid Harrison Butker’s struggles, but special teams coordinator Dave Toub made it clear who the starting kicker is.
asserted
kicker → bring → struggles
Butker has struggled this season, making just 11 of 16 field-goal attempts, with four of his misses coming over his last four games.
asserted
four → struggle → games
Amid those woes, the team brought in Tucker to provide competition, but Toub remained steadfast in his support of Butker.
asserted
Toub → bring → Butker
"Butker is our kicker," Toub told reporters on Thursday.
asserted
Toub → tell → Thursday
"We’re trying to improve, we’re trying to get Butker right.
asserted
Butker → try → ?
That’s what this whole thing is about."
asserted
thing → ’ → what
Toub said Butker has performed well in practice this week despite windy conditions and Tucker’s presence.
asserted
Butker → say → conditions
"He went 10-for-10 yesterday with Tucker standing right there," Toub said.
asserted
Toub → go → 10
"And he went 10-for-10.
asserted
he → go → 10
On a windy day, it was 28-mile-an-hour gusts yesterday, and he went 10-for-10.
asserted
he → go → 10
And I thought right before out to practice, I was going, ‘This poor bastard,’ I mean, it’s 28-mile-an-hour gusts and he’s got to go out there and try to — and he did it.
asserted
he → think → it
He went 10-for-10, so that’s a good thing.
asserted
that → go → 10
So we’re going to keep working it."
The Chiefs worked out Ben Sauls, Harrison Mevis and Tucker, and Toub was asked why the team chose the former Baltimore Ravens kicker.
"
asserted
team → go → kicker
And I've heard he's been out making the rounds, and we talk.
asserted
we → hear → rounds
All the special teams coaches talk.
asserted
coaches → talk → ?
He had four workouts before we brought—we were his fifth workout, tryout.
asserted
we → have → workouts
And the word was that he was hitting the ball great, and I wanted to see it.
asserted
I → hit → it
I always thought he was a great kicker, and those two guys right now, Harrison and him, they idolized each other in the league when they were kicking together.
asserted
they → think → league
He was out there, he did his 10-game suspension, so he was available, we brought him in," Toub said.
asserted
Toub → do → him
Toub said he put the kickers through a "grueling workout" that included a "30 kick," extra points, seven attempts from beyond 50 yards and one from 60 yards.
asserted
that → say → yards
Tucker made every kick with exceptional accuracy.
asserted
Tucker → make → accuracy
"Not only did he make them, he was accurate.
asserted
he → make → them
Somebody that's struggling as a kicker is not able to put the ball with that kind of accuracy," Toub said.
asserted
Toub → struggle → accuracy
That's the reason why we signed him to the practice squad."
Tucker served a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after 16 female massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior during sessions between 2012 and 2016, according to reporting by The Baltimore Banner in January 2025.
On Feb. 16 of last year, the same outlet reported that seven more women had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Tucker.
uncertain
women → sign → Tucker
The longtime Ravens kicker denied the allegations in a statement to OutKick.
asserted
kicker → deny → OutKick
"I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session, nor have I ever been told I am unwelcome at any massage therapy provider," he said.
asserted
he → maintain → provider
"I can assure whoever is reading this that I have never intended to disrespect anyone, cross any boundary, or make anyone feel uncomfortable in any way whatsoever."
asserted
anyone → assure → way
The decision to sign Tucker to the practice squad has drawn fierce criticism.
While Toub said Butker is still the team’s kicker, that could change if his struggles continue.
uncertain
struggles → sign → criticism
Toub described Butker’s missed 45-yard field goal in the team’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks as a "bad miss.
asserted
Toub → describe → miss
"You’ve got to make the kicks," Toub said.
asserted
Toub → get → kicks
"The short kicks — that’s considered a short kick — you’ve got to make those in situations where it’s a tight game like that.
asserted
it → consider → that
The Aporia
