Although the NFL does not record preseason stats in its official records, Harrison Butker made one of the longest kicks in preseason history this week.

On August 22, the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. With a few seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs sent out their special teams unit to attempt a 69-yard field goal in deep field-goal territory. Butker stepped onto the field and drilled the ball through the uprights to give the Chiefs a 9-0 lead heading into half.

This stunning performance caught the attention of those around the league. Gracie Hunt, daughter of Chiefs franchise owner Clark Hunt, went to Instagram to congratulate Butker on his feat. 

Butker has built a reputation for himself among the kickers in the league with his kicking range. Butker tends to break records. During Super Bowl 58, Butker broke the record for the furthest kick in Super Bowl history with a 57-yard kick. Not stopping there, he holds the longest kick in Arrowhead Stadium history back in 2022 when he drilled in a 62-yard field goal.

While Butker’s 69-yarder was the biggest highlight of the game, his night did not end on a high note. Butker ended up missing two costly kicks during the game. Missing an extra point attempt and sending a 43-yard kick wide right sent the Chiefs home with a 16-15 loss.

After the game, Butker felt like he let his team down, stating that, “You’ve got to make your kicks.” Showcasing his range, Butker still has to clean up his accuracy to remain one of the league’s best kickers.

Heading into their final preseason game against the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Seattle Seahawks. Inside the organization, Butker is still trusted, and Andy Reid remains confident in his kicker. With only two weeks left before the regular season, the Chiefs hope that the misses were a one-game occurrence for their star kicker.

Butker has become known off the field for his right-wing political views.

The NFL’s new kickoff rule is anticipated to increase the number of kickoff returns, including potentially more long returns where the kicker is the last defender standing. Consequently, kickers might find themselves making more tackles than ever before.

In response, some teams are contemplating assigning kickoff duties to non-kickers. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub has suggested safety Justin Reid might take on kickoffs. Reid has demonstrated a strong kicking ability and is more adept at tackling compared to Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.

However, Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn is skeptical about position players consistently executing precise kicks. “You don’t want your kicker making a ton of tackles,” Blackburn said to NBC Sports. “You don’t want a guy to get hurt, so there’s a little thought that goes into it. But if it’s short of the 20 or out of bounds, the ball’s going 25 yards from the spot of the kick, so it’s going to the 40-yard line. You don’t want that. I’d say there’s not too many position players you can bank on.”

Broncos coach Sean Payton also expressed caution about using a position player for kickoffs. Blackburn mentioned the possibility of instructing the kicker to simply aim for a touchback, even though the new rule grants the receiving team the ball at the 30-yard line on a touchback.

“The risk-reward of putting a guy who can’t put the ball consistently inside the 20-yard line where you want it, or even hit a touchback if that’s the goal, is significant,” Blackburn said.

Teams are still adapting to the new rule, and those with special teams coordinators who have their players well-prepared by Week One will likely hold a substantial advantage. The strategy shift underscores the evolving nature of special teams’ play and the critical importance of precision and versatility in kickoff scenarios.

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes defended his teammate Harrison Butker following Butker’s commencement speech earlier this month. Butker, the Chiefs’ kicker, made waves with comments that placed higher value on women’s roles in the home over their professional achievements and criticized Pride Month as a “deadly sin.”

Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, expressed his support for Butker despite disagreeing with his remarks. Speaking to reporters after the team’s organized team activities (OTAs), Mahomes described Butker as a “good person.”

“I’ve known him for seven years,“ Mahomes said. “I judge him by the character that he shows every single day … that’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact in society.“

Butker’s speech, delivered at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, to about 485 graduates, drew significant backlash for criticizing diversity and equity initiatives and suggesting that women find more fulfillment through marriage and motherhood than through careers.

“We’re not always going to agree,“ Mahomes said. “There are certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I understand the person that he is, and he’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”

Mahomes reiterated his disagreement with parts of Butker’s speech but refused to delve into specifics. “I’m not going to judge him by that; I judge him by the way he acts every single day. I’m not going to get into the full details of the entire speech,“ Mahomes added. “At the same time, I know what type of person he is, and I’m going to make sure I look at that first and let the other stuff handle itself.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid commented: “We’re a microcosm of life here. Everybody is from different areas, different religions, different races, and we all get along. We all respect each other’s opinions, and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, “We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does,“ addressing the media after the league’s Spring Meeting in Nashville.

The NFL distanced itself from Butker’s comments, with Senior Vice President Jonathan Beane stating that Butker’s views do not reflect the league’s values. “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,“ Beane said.

Butker, entering his eighth season with the Chiefs, did not address the media on Wednesday. The fallout from his speech continues to spark debate, highlighting the ongoing clash of personal beliefs and public perception in professional sports.