Chiefs hire backup for Harrison Butker’s backup: Is there a curse on the Chiefs’ kicking position?
Kicker Spencer Shrader was injured in the game against the Panthers.
Harrison Butker’s backup just got injured
Anew problem is plaguing the Kansas City Chiefs. To the flood of injuries that have affected the reigning NFL champion this season, the unexpected injury to backup kicker Spencer Shrader has just been added, forcing the team to take desperate measures.
Since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown announced his injury that left him out for the entire season last August, the Chiefs have not caught a break. The injuries have happened one after another, forcing head coach Andy Reid and general manager Bret Veech to make emergency signings to patch up their roster.
One of the most recent cases was kicker Harrison Butker, who recently landed on the Injured Reserve List. To replace Butker, the Chiefs signed Spencer, but the rookie was injured in the Week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers, setting off alarm bells in the team’s front office.
A new Chiefs emergency purchase
Just Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, Shrader kicked the game-winning field goal in a 30-27 victory over Carolina. On Tuesday, the team placed the kicker on the injured list, labeling him questionable for the Week 13 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The team has not ruled out Shrader for the Black Friday game but has already signed veteran Matthew Wright to a practice squad contract. If everything goes wrong with Spencer, Reid will already have an experienced replacement on hand.
Wright has spent his five-year NFL career between brief preseason or practice squad stints for nine teams, including the Chiefs. The UCF product spent two separate terms with Kansas City in 2022 and was under contract with the San Francisco 49ers as of this week.
The Raiders game
Even though Las Vegas is at the bottom of the AFC West at 2-9, Reid doesn’t want to take any chances. Divisional rival games are among the toughest on the schedule for any team, and any mistake can cost dearly.
The Chiefs will have home-field advantage at Arrowhead Stadium, but having a fully-fledged team will be vital to not giving the Raiders any advantage. Andy Reid knows this, and whether it’s Wright or Shrader, the veteran strategist wants to have a kicker who can get the job done.
