Kansas City Chiefs have suffered a massive blow as the franchise had to place another star player, Harrison Butker, as an injured reserve, ESPN reported Thursday.
By placing Butker as an injured reserve, the starting kicker will miss a minimum of four games. This means he’ll be absent from upcoming NFL games against the Buffalo Bills on November 17, Carolina Panthers on November 24, Las Vegas Raiders on November 29, and Los Angeles Chargers on December 8.
The injury list at the Chiefs is extensive as head coach Andy Reid has lost wide receiver Rashee Rice for the season with a knee issue, Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown because of a shoulder problem, and JuJu Smith-Schuster as he has a hamstring issue, among other absences. To fill the void left by starting kicker Butker, the Chiefs have added Spencer Shrader to its roster from the New York Jets practice squad, according to NBC Sports.
The Jets elevated Shrader to the 53-man roster ahead of the game at Arizona Cardinals, and he returned two field goals for six points before reverting back to the practice squad after that game on Sunday, November 10, ESPN said. When the Jets take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, they’ll have to do so with their fourth starting kicker in as many games.
Prior to the Jets, Shrader played for the Indianapolis Colts. In college, he played four years in South Florida before his transfer to Notre Dame Fighting Irish. To plug the hole in the Jets roster, head coach Jeff Ulbrich may turn to Anders Carlson, who joined the practice squad this month.
The Jets seemingly did not want to lose Shrader as, according to ESPN, it offered him a spot back on the roster. But he chose the Chiefs. The deal will be ratified in time for Shrader to take kicking duties during Butker’s four-game absence. In August, the Chiefs made Butker the highest-paid kicker in NFL history as he committed to a four-year extension worth $25.6 million, which averages $6.4 million per year. It keeps Butker at the Chiefs until the 2028 season.
