The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad on Wednesday, Oct. 28, bringing a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro back into the league after more than a year away. The move lands as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker continues to struggle through the 2026 season, missing field goals and extra points at a rate well below his career norms.
A Suspension, Then a Long Wait for a Chance
Tucker, a 13-year NFL veteran, did not play during the 2025 season, according to USA Today. His 13-year run with the Ravens ended with his release in May 2025 amid an NFL investigation into accusations from 16 massage therapists, the outlet reported. Sixteen Baltimore-area massage therapists had shared accounts of inappropriate sexual behavior by Tucker, as The Athletic reported, with allegations first surfacing in reporting from The Baltimore Banner.
The league's discipline has been described two different ways across reporting. USA Today reported the league suspended Tucker 10 games to begin the season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, while The Baltimore Banner reported separately that the NFL concluded its investigation and suspended Tucker for 10 weeks without pay for violations of the league's personal conduct policy. Tucker denied the allegations but did not appeal the NFL's decision, per USA Today's report. Two businesses had also banned Tucker following the allegations, according to the Banner's reporting.
Fifth Team to Give Tucker a Look
Kansas City is the fifth team to give Tucker a tryout since his suspension ended, the Athletic's coverage notes. The Chiefs had not disclosed contract details for Tucker as of publication, with USA Today noting that information about his deal was still to come. Tucker's statistical case remains strong on paper: his 89.1% career field-goal percentage has been described by USA Today as ranking third all-time, while the Banner's earlier reporting put him at No. 1 in career field-goal percentage among qualifying kickers in NFL history. That efficiency slipped in his final active season, when Tucker converted a career-low 73.3% of his field-goal attempts, making 22 of 30 in 2024, according to USA Today.
Butker's Rough Stretch Opens the Door
The timing traces directly back to Butker's recent performance. Butker has missed five field goals through six games this year, USA Today reported, while The Banner reported he was 11-for-16 on field goals. He missed two attempts — from 45 and 58 yards — in Kansas City's Sunday night loss to Seattle, the Athletic reported, part of a stretch in which he's gone 5-for-9 on all kicks, including extra points, over his last two games. NBC Sports reported that Butker has missed seven kicks over his past 11 games.
CBS Sports detailed how Butker failed to connect on two of his three field-goal attempts in Kansas City's 20-3 loss to Seattle in Week 7, missing from 58 and 45 yards while making a 50-yarder. He's converting just 33.3% of his kicks from 50-plus yards this season, going 2-for-6, per the same outlet, and since the start of last season he's 7-of-15 from that distance — a 46.7% clip. Chiefs coach Andy Reid addressed the slump directly, telling The Kansas City Star, “He's been one of the most consistent kickers in football, but he's off a bit, so we've got to fix it.”
What the Move Does — and Doesn't — Mean
News of the signing first circulated through a report from Kansas City Star reporter Sam McDowell, who wrote on X that a source told the paper the Chiefs were signing Tucker to the practice squad. For now, Tucker remains on the practice squad rather than the active roster, and nothing in the available reporting indicates he has been elevated to play in a game. Whether — or when — he takes the field for Kansas City remains to be seen.
