Former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Morten Andersen still enjoys keeping up with the team, especially the kicking game.
Andersen has met with current Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, speaking with him and his father. He had an opportunity to reveal decades of knowledge and some tips and tricks that helped Andersen reach all-time heights in the NFL. Butker actually grew up an Atlanta Falcons fan and watched plenty of film and highlights on Andersen himself.
“I like the kid,” Andersen said of Butker. “He’s talented, he’s got a leg, he is a stud. He was a Georgia Tech kid and I met him down at Georgia Tech. I was actually working another kid out from LSU at their facility and Harrison was there and was getting ready. Tall kid, strong kid. He seemed real together, very confident but not cocky.”
Butker first signed with Kansas City off of the Panthers practice squad during the 2017 season, his rookie year, replacing injured Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos. Despite the late start to his rookie season, joining the Chiefs in Week 4, he still broke the NFL record for most field goals made by a rookie with 38.
“He’s just a great asset not only on field goals but also on kickoffs,” Andersen said. “And he’s made some big kicks.”
Some of those big kicks came during the Chiefs’ postseason run this past year. Butker has been a model of consistency for Kansas City since his arrival, breaking a number of franchise records in the process. Andersen believes this is only just the beginning of a bright career for Butker.
“You know he can be there for a long time,” Andersen said. “He just signed a five-year deal not too long ago. So they’ve got over $20 million invested in the kid. So they obviously believe in him.”
Butker’s contract extension had Andersen a little nostalgic, recalling what he made during his first year in the league.
“I’ll give you a comparison, I made $40K in my first year,” Andersen quipped
Money aside, Andersen believes that Butker can become the next great kicker in a long lineage of kickers to play in Kansas City. He wouldn’t be surprised to see him with Chiefs for 10 years or more.
“He’s at a franchise that’s had some of the best kickers in the history of the game starting with Jan Stenerud and then with Nick Lowery and so on,” Andersen said. “So really, there’s some lineage there to aspire to.”
Butker already has won a Super Bowl. He owns franchise records for points scored in a season, career field goal percentage, and more. Time will tell if he is held in the same regard as players like Stenerud, Lowery and even Andersen. For now, he’s uniquely situated to stick with Kansas City for many years to come. That should help his case to become one of the greats.
This interview is the second of a multi-part series with Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen sponsored by NJ Online Gambling. You can find links to Part 1 & Part 2 below.
Part 1: Dustin Colquitt and the specialist stigma
Part 2: On RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire being compared to Priest Holmes
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