The Kansas City Chiefs are set to be without kicker Harrison Butker for their Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
That said, it seems like the eight-year veteran will soon be back in action as the Chiefs chase an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.
Butker was placed on IR ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 11 matchup with the Buffalo Bills because of a calf injury. He is eligible to return from the injury list after four games, but will he play in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns?
Here’s the latest on Butker’s injury and what to know about his status moving forward.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Harrison Butker injury update
Andy Reid provided an update about Butker during a news conference on Wednesday. He said that Butker is ‘potentially’ on target to return in Week 15, but wouldn’t commit to the veteran kicker doing so just yet.
‘We’ll see how he does in the next week or two,’ Reid said, per A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman.
When will Harrison Butker return?
The Chiefs haven’t yet provided a clear timetable on Butker’s potential return to action. Reid said Butker could ‘potentially’ return in Week 15, but the Chiefs want to see how healthy he is before making a decision.
Kansas City may also be happy to wait and see where it is in the AFC standings before choosing to activate Butker. The Chiefs enter Week 14 with an 11-1 record and are playing the Chargers, their main competition in the AFC West.
If the Chiefs beat the Chargers, they will have a stranglehold on the division. That will give them the leeway needed to ease Butker back into action and prepare him for another postseason run.
Kansas City will have 21 days to return Butker to the 53-man roster once it does designate him to return from IR. So, while he could kick as early as Week 15, the Chiefs may be willing to let him sit until he is as close to 100% as possible.
Who is the Chiefs kicker after Harrison Butker’s injury?
The Chiefs are relying on journeyman Matthew Wright as their kicker at present. The 28-year-old has made 47-of-55 career field goals and has gone 4-of-5 for the Chiefs this season.
Kansas City initially signed Spencer Shrader to replace Butker, but Shrader suffered a right hamstring injury that landed him on IR ahead of Week 12.
The Chiefs will likely entrust Wright, who also served as an injury fill-in for Butker last season, as their kicker while both Butker and Shrader are unavailable.
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.
