The Kansas City Chiefs are signing scandalized kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad amid Harrison Butker’s early-season struggles.
Former Baltimore Ravens star Tucker was handed a 10-week suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after he became embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal.
Tucker, who is married, was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists from across eight spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore area. He denied any wrongdoing and branded the accusations ‘shocking and heart-breaking.’
But, amid the scandal, he was released by the Ravens in May 2025 and Tucker has been without a team since.
Now, though, the Chiefs are adding the 36-year-old to their practice squad. The news, first revealed by the Kansas City Star, will put Butker’s future under the microscope.
The three-time Super Bowl champion, who sparked controversy over comments he made during a commencement speech, has missed five of his 16 field goal attempts this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs are signing scandalized kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad
Tucker, who is married, was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists from across eight spas and wellness centers. He denied any wrongdoing and branded the accusations ‘shocking and heart-breaking’
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has missed five of his 16 field goal attempts this year
After Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, during which Butker missed a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter, head coach Andy Reid admitted the kicker’s performances needed to improve.
‘He’s been one of the most consistent kickers in football,’ Reid said. ‘He’s off a bit, so got to fix it.’
According to ESPN and NFL Network, the Chiefs worked out three kickers – including ex-Rams star Harrison Mevis – before Tucker was given a spot on the practice squad.
His NFL suspension was lifted in November 2025 and the veteran has held workouts with several teams following his release by the Ravens. But this marks the first time that Tucker – who spent 13 seasons in Baltimore – has been part of an NFL roster since his suspension.
He joins a special teams corps that also includes punter Matt Araiza, who was signed by the Chiefs after being dropped from a lawsuit that claimed a 17-year-old girl was raped at a party in 2021.
As ESPN reported at the time, the two sides reached an agreement which saw Araiza dismissed from the suit, while the punter agreed to drop a defamation lawsuit against his accuser.
Butker, meanwhile, came under fire for a commencement speech he made at Kansas’ Benedictine College in May 2024.
As well as appearing to condemn then-president Joe Biden’s pro-abortion stance and the LGBTQ+ community, the NFL star divided opinion by suggesting women should prioritize being stay-at-home mothers over careers of their own.
A petition calling for the Chiefs to cut him from their roster received almost 250,000 signatures, while some teammates, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, publicly admitted they do not share his views.
But Butker later defended his comments, insisting: ‘God has given me this platform and I’m going to say what I believe to be true and what I hold close to my heart,’
