The Kansas City Chiefs have a kicker problem, and they know it. Kicker Harrison Butker missed two field goals in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football,” and the struggles are getting harder to ignore.

Since last season began, Butker has missed 15 kicks (10 field goals and five extra points). That is the most in the NFL over that span. He hasn’t looked like the same kicker since he underwent left knee meniscus surgery during the 2024 NFL season, which sidelined him for four games.

Butker isn’t hurt, though. He hasn’t appeared on the injury report. His recent misses look like technique and performance issues rather than anything injury-related. Something has to change for Kansas City, because it’s hard to trust Butker right now, especially at distance.

Harrison Butker explains his misses against the Seahawks

After the game, Butker told reporters his 58-yard attempt simply fell short. He said he pushed the 45-yarder at the end of the game, and that nothing felt too out of the ordinary on either miss. Butker described the 37-yard line, or a 55-yard field goal, as his range. He didn’t want to change anything in his approach on the 58-yard try.

“I just wanted to keep it smooth, and unfortunately it was a little short,” he told reporters.

Butker has made just 11 of 16 field goals this season (68.8%). That puts him among the league’s least accurate kickers through the first seven weeks of the 2026 NFL season. It’s the least consistent he’s been as a kicker through any seven-week stretch during his NFL career.

The Chiefs have another leg in the specialist room

So what can the Chiefs realistically do to ease Butker’s burden? For starters, they might want to lean more on the other player in the specialist room: starting punter Matt Araiza.

If you’re not familiar with his background, Araiza also kicked in college at San Diego State. He didn’t take over as a full-time punter until his final season, when he earned the nickname “Punt God.” Over three seasons, Araiza made 50-of-68 field goals, with a 53-yard long make. He was also 96-of-97 on extra points.

In August, Butker told reporters he felt good about his mechanics after battling a technical issue the year before.

“I do,” Butker said. “So last year I wasn’t dropping down onto the plant, that plant foot knee. I was having to think about it a lot, especially during training camp. And now I don’t have to focus on that. So I’m hoping I can focus on things that matter more, you know, smooth swings, thoughts. And I think that’s been helpful for me to keep it simple and just focus on good ball contact instead of just focusing in on not dropping down on that knee. I can focus on something that probably matters more.”

That answer is telling. When Butker has too many things on his mind, his performance suffers. Taking some responsibilities off his plate could let him focus on making field goals.

How Matt Araiza could help Kansas City

One option is handing kickoffs to Araiza. The new kick return rules have forced Butker to focus on kickoff precision and how he handles that phase of the game. At San Diego State, Araiza handled kickoffs for three seasons. Of 181 kickoffs, only 37 were returned for 799 yards. He had 141 touchbacks with an average kick hang time of 3.76 seconds.

If Araiza takes that job, Butker can focus on field goals and extra points. Stabilizing that part of his game could be extremely valuable for Kansas City.

The Chiefs could also explore using Araiza on long-range attempts. He’s known for having a big leg, and he could be an option at distance. Butker has missed the majority of his 50-plus-yard attempts in 2026. Take those away, and the picture looks much better. Four of Butker’s five missed field goals have come from 50 yards or beyond. Inside the 50, he’s converting 90% of his attempts, going 9-of-10.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid knows this has to improve. So do Butker and special teams coordinator Dave Toub. The thin mountain air at Mile High Stadium in Week 8’s game against the Broncos could help him get back on track. Before Kansas City explores outside options or brings in competition, seeing whether Araiza can relieve some of the strain on Butker could be the interim answer.

Long term, serious questions remain about whether Butker can turn things around and keep his job as the team’s starting kicker. He has plenty of time left to get back on track in 2026. However, I don’t know how much runway he has if the misses keep stacking up.