Tag: Harrison Butker

Chiefs Dave Toub explains not using Travis Kelce as backup long snapper vs. Lions

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub explains not using Travis Kelce as backup long snapper vs. Lions | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have multiple players who can fill in at various positions based on their skill sets.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke with reporters on Tuesday after practice to discuss his reasoning for not going to Travis Kelce as the backup long snapper after James Winchester’s injury last Saturday.

“(Travis) Kelce is our backup long snapper, and Kelce during the regular season, I could throw him in there, and he’s dynamite, does a great job, but he was already out of the game,” said Toub. “So now we’re up to our third snapper (Noah Gray), where you really don’t work a guy, but he did a couple of snaps on Saturdays, like during the mock games during the year last year. They just threw him in.”

Noah Gray stepped in admirably during the game, receiving quick coaching on the position from Winchester, Harrison Butker, and Matt Araiza.

“Those guys took him in the back there, Jay (Winchester), (Harrison) Butker, and Matt (Araiza), those guys took them on the side; I’m still, you know, coaching the game,” said Toub. “Those guys had him in the back there and got him ready to go. And he did a great job.”

The Chiefs expect to have Winchester back in the lineup for the regular season opener on September 5th against the Ravens. Newly signed former Kansas State Wildcat Randen Plattner will fill in for Thursday’s preseason finale.

Harrison Butker hilariously misquoted Winston Churchill to defend his awful takes and got roasted for it

Do your research next time, Harrison.

Don’t you just love it when someone who absolutely nothing has happened to tries to turn themselves into a martyr because, uh, well, the internet?

That’s Harrison Butker today.

If you recall, Butker caught a bit of public flak because of his controversial and misogynistic commencement speech earlier this summer. He made sexist comments about women in the workforce and loads of people out there simply disagreed with him. Did they vehemently disagree with him? Yes, many did. But that’s about it.

Since then, Butker has become the richest kicker in NFL history. So you’d think he’d just be somewhere making snow angels in a pile of money.

Nope. Instead, he’s online using fake Winston Churchill quotes about enemies as a flex.

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life,” Butker captioned his tweet. He credited that quote to Churchill.

First of all, I’ve got to say, actively choosing to quote Winston Churchill is, uh, let’s call that a choice.

But what’s hilarious about this is that the quote he chose is not actually a Churchill quote. According to Politifact, the quote comes from an 1845 essay published by former French Senator Victor Hugo.

So not only is Butker making a bigger deal out of himself here than he actually is, but he’s also doing that while being loud and wrong. What a combo!

Fans roasted him for this.

Chiefs Dave Toub details plans for the new kickoff rule utilizing Harrison Butker

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub details plans for the new kickoff rule utilizing Harrison Butker | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for the new season at training camp with various new procedures and personnel.

Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub spoke with reporters after Saturday’s practice. He focused on the new kickoff rules this season and broke down his plans for the Chiefs, including personnel and hitting the target zone.

“(Harrison) Butker’s gonna be our main kickoff guy, I mean, hands down. Because he can move the ball and do a lot of different things, he’s our most talented kickoff guy,” said Toub. “Other guys that can kick off, Justin (Reid) and Louis (Rees-Zammit), he’ll be able to kick off and be able to cover, so you just want them to get the ball into the target zone, where you’re trying to pin them down there, just with a good kick, and you’ve actually got eleven guys covering instead of ten.”

The change in kickoff rules will require the kicker to be more involved in coverage and get physical. The other change will be the location of the kick, which will hit a specific target zone.

“We’ve learned that you want to try to kick the ball without a lot of hang time. (It’s) a low ball that probably goes inside the 10, but maybe skips into the end zone,” said Toub. “A ball that they can’t get to right away. If they catch a ball on a line drive at the 10-yard line, it’s gonna be easy for them to get it out to the 30 like that, so you have to try to kick it away from the returners if you can. Hit it into the target zone and skip it into the end zone, possibly for a touchback where you get the ball at the 20. That’s the ultimate goal on the kickoff.”

The process of adjusting to the new rules will be ongoing, and there are expected to be more penalties during the preseason and early weeks of the regular season.

Serena Williams puts Harrison Butker on blast at ESPY Awards

Serena Williams with a perfect shot at Harrison Butker

The ESPY Awards took place in Hollywood on Thursday. At one point during the show, Serena Williams leveled Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker with a perfectly placed comment. Short and oh so sweet.

Serena Williams was on stage with her sister Venus and actress Quinta Brunson praising the merits and passion of women’s sports.

And then, zing.

“Except you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you,” Serena said looking right into the camera.

“At all. Like, ever,” Brunson added.

Butker was the target because of his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this year.

“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives,” Butker said to the graduating class. “I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.

“How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

Butker was rebuked for the comments in many forms of media, not just sports. He also took criticism from numerous groups.

At the ESPY Award, Serena Williams delivered another ace.

Serena Williams and Quinta Brunson savagely roasted Harrison Butker during the 2024 ESPYs while he was most likely in the room

Harrison Butker didn’t have a fun night at the ESPYs, thanks to this brutal dig on his commencement controversy.

During Thursday night’s 2024 ESPYs ceremony, show host Serena Williams and Abbott Elementary mastermind Quinta Brunson absolutely roasted Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker while he was in the room.

Butker attended this year’s ESPYs show in Los Angeles, where his deeply controversial commencement speech featuring misogynistic and homophobic sentiments ignited the sports world.

As Venus Williams talked about how fans can enjoy women’s sports without reservation, Serena Williams chimed in that Butker isn’t needed in this important push. Brunson quickly agreed.

This was particularly devastating since Butker was most likely in the room since he was on the event’s red carpet.

Here’s proof that Butker, indeed, was at this year’s ESPYs and most likely took this burn from Serena Williams and Brunson from his seat in real time.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Whew. That’s absolutely brutal. We’re sure Butker wasn’t thrilled about that very pointed dig, but then again, airing your feelings in a public space is how Butker landed in this situation.

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Chiefs DB Justin Reid opens up about his expanded role on kickoffs

Kansas City #Chiefs DB Justin Reid opens up about his expanded role on kickoffs | @EdEastonJr

Every NFL general manager wants to see versatility in players. The Kansas City Chiefs will count on veteran safety Justin Reid’s specific ability, as his kicking leg is ready to be front and center this season.

Reid recently appeared as a guest on Yote House Media’s “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast. He discussed his expanded role on special teams handling more kickoffs due to the new rule starting this season.

“We might have added some time to my career. You might’ve extended my show a couple (of) years,” said Reid. “The earning window is huge with this. When I’m done being the starting guy on safety, I can turn into that rotational third safety and also be a kickoff specialist.”

The change in kickoff format will require more physicality from the kicker, opening the door for the versatile Reid.

“The whole dynamic of hang time has completely flipped. Normally, on kickoff, kickers are great at trying to have a four-second hang time to give guys time to get down the field, but now you’re trying to keep the ball as low as possible while still in play. You’re trying to get it to hit the ground because when the ball hits the ground, that’s now your hang time.” said Reid. “Guys can take off at that point and however much time it takes the returner to pick up the ball, that’s them wasting time. So that whole dynamic has just completely flipped on his head. It’s a different kick, it’s a different style, it’s a lot more aggressive trying to hit the low ball… So I think that the style of kicks you see from the get-go will just be different.”

The veteran safety further explained the importance of having the kicker in heavy pursuit of potential returners more than ever before and changing the role dynamic.

“The amount of plays that can be broken. When you have special talents like a Tyreek or some of these other explosive returners, there’s an open gap somewhere on that field. They have ten blockers, and we have ten attackers, but everybody has two shoulders, so there’s an open gap somewhere. And the advantage for us is that if I’m doing the job ––which is what we’re planning on doing–– then I can fill that last gap, so it makes it a little bit easier that nobody needs to win two gaps.” said Reid. “Of course, you’re going to try and always arm over and win across at late, but it’s a little bit more comfortable knowing that you are responsible for one gap instead of every person on the field trying to two-gap and hoping the returner doesn’t find that last open gap.”

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub mentioned the strong likelihood of Reid as the solution to the new rule change. The statement also presented questions surrounding the value of Harrison Butker moving forward, but Reid immediately shot it down.

“No –– we’re in a great place with it. Although I know he can make some tackles, I think that he’s excited to preserve himself, and we can use him where we really need him, which is in those fourth-quarter situations to go nail a 60-yard field goal and win the game,” said Reid. “It would be devastating to try and trot a guy out there who’s feeling nicked up from making a tackle in the second quarter.”

The execution of the kickoffs will be a must-see moment this season as teams adjust to the changes. Reid’s presence will influence how other teams build their rosters to accommodate the new kickoff formation.

Panthers K Eddy Piñeiro asked about his absences from offseason workouts

Did Panthers K Eddy Piñeiro answer questions about his earlier offseason absences?

So, why did Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Piñeiro skip out on offseason workouts? Well, he’s not the guy to ask.

Piñeiro, who did not attend voluntary minicamp nor team organized team activities, returned to the squad for mandatory minicamp this week. When speaking to reporters for the first time since his reappearance, he was asked about the absences.

“My decision on that is kinda private right now between me and the Panthers,” Piñeiro replied on Wednesday. “So I’m not gonna comment on me missing anything.”

The 28-year-old also declined to comment on if the absences were related to his current contract, one that ranks 20th in average annual value amongst all kickers.

He did, though, note the importance of the past few and upcoming months leading into the final year of that pact.

“This is a big offseason for me,” Piñeiro added. “I have a lot of goals. I wanna have a great season this year. I’m the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history right now. My goal is to be No. 1. So, that’s how I’m gonna attack this offseason.”

Piñeiro has successfully converted on 89.0 percent of his career field goal attempts. As he stated, he sits third in that category—behind Baltimore’s Justin Tucker (90.2) and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (89.1).

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, who was in attendance for this afternoon’s practice, Piñeiro went 2-for-4 on his field goal tries during team drills.

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Chiefs K Harrison Butker assisted teammate during medical emergency

Kansas City #Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s quick response helped BJ Thompson during a medical emergency at team facilities last Thursday. | @EdEastonJr

The unity of a team during uncertain moments, whether on the football field or in life, is essential. There is a care and concern for one another that can’t be measured, as was the case during BJ Thompson’s medical emergency at the Kansas City Chiefs training facility Thursday.

Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder addressed the media after Friday’s practice to explain the traumatic situation and Thompson’s progress.

“BJ, when he had the seizure, (Harrison) Butker immediately ran towards the training room and grabbed Julie Frymyer and David Glover and grabbed me,” Burkholder told reporters. “We went into the room, and eventually, Tiffany Morton and Evan Craft came in; as well as this facility, we have a doctor’s office down the hall, and Dr. J.P. Darche from Kansas University Health System was there.

“He came up and assisted in as a team. We tried to stabilize BJ and then put him on the floor while he was still seizing, and then he went into cardiac arrest. So our team of that group of people provided CPR for him. He had one AED shock and came back. So he was he was only in cardiac arrest for probably less than a minute, minute and a half.”

The Chiefs and every team in the league must practice life-saving procedures similar to those used for helping Thompson. Burkholder and the players reviewed the protocols on Monday of this week.

“(Thompson) was taken to KU Hospital, where he was heavily sedated yesterday through the night, and then he was brought out of the sedation this morning,” Burkholder explained. “He was on a ventilator overnight, just so he could breathe, because he was so heavily sedated that’s all out. He’s alert, he’s awake. He’s coming through quite well. We don’t have a diagnosis, and sometimes you don’t have that in medicine. He’s awake and alert and headed in the absolute right direction.”

Butker’s immediate response, highlighted in the special teams meeting, helped save precious time as Thompson efficiently got medical attention.

Chiefs Dave Toub hints at DB Justin Reid being utilized for kickoff duties

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub hinted that #Chiefs DB Justin Reid could be utilized for kickoff duties next season. | @EdEastonJr

The offseason meetings, which involve tweaks to increase excitement in the NFL, are a normal annual occurrence. The Kansas City Chiefs and the other 31 teams are handling the most glaring change, the new kickoff format, which will start in 2024.

During Thursday’s press conference, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub shared a possible plan to adjust the kickoff strategy with the new rule changes.

“I’d like to have someone who can go back and make a tackle. Butker’s able to make a tackle, but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long,” said Toub, creating a theory that Justin Reid could be handling more kicking duties this season.

The XFL, now known as the UFL since merging with the USFL, popularized the new kickoff format starting this season. The spring football concept has provided thrilling action and guarantees a return because the ball must fall into a landing zone.

“If you watch the XFL and watch every play, I bet kickers were involved in about 25-40 percent of the tackles,” said Toub. “Trying to make a guy bounce back, make the tackle itself, or just missing a tackle. We don’t want Butker in those situations.”

Reid notably filled in for an injured Butker in the opening game of the 2022 season, so he has experience in different forms of kicking.

“He will be a kicker. He will be a guy we use in certain situations,” Toub explained. “Justin (Reid) can cover, and he can kick, and he can go down there and make tackles. He’s an extra guy they are probably not accounting for; they know that guy can come down and tackle, but Justin’s a guy you have to worry about and get him blocked.”

The unknown surrounding this rule change will make preseason reps stand out more for special teams as everyone tries to adjust effectively.

The Chiefs might bench Harrison Butker on kickoffs but not for the reason you think

Seeing less of Harrison Butker is probably a good thing either way

It seems like there’s a pretty solid chance that Harrison Butker could be benched for the Chiefs this upcoming season.

You’re probably thinking that’s a good thing considering the circumstances. The less we see of Butker out in public these days after his unacceptable hate-filled speech, the better.

The dude said some shameful things that everyone, including his teammates and the league he plays in, has been working hard to distance themselves from.

But his ridiculous opinions aren’t why he might be benched for kickoffs next season.

Why are the Chiefs benching Harrison Butker?

It’s all because of a rule change. The league changed its kickoff rules to create a new hybrid kickoff—something we’ve seen in the XFL. Kicks will now require hitting a “landing zone” instead of just booting the ball out of the endzone, which should generate more kick returns.

Here are some details from Christian D’Andrea here:

“This reform, slated for a one-year pilot program next fall, would add several new wrinkles to free kicks, ideally allowing for greater returns while rewarding kickers for their accuracy. While the ball would still be placed at the kicking team’s 35-yard line, everyone but the kicker would line up 25 yards upfield at the receiving team’s 40. Five yards away from them would be the first line of blocking defense ahead of a maximum of two returners — a line that can’t go deeper than the 30-yard line.”

Here’s what that looks like.

READ MORE: A full breakdown of the NFL’s new kicking rules

What does that have to do with Butker?

The Chiefs are already thinking about these kickoffs from a strategic standpoint.

Special teams coordinator David Toub said the new kickoff will have kickers more involved in tackles and that’s something the Chiefs don’t want Butker doing. So, instead of using Butker for kickoffs like kickers would be traditionally used, the Chiefs may place a safety like Justin Reid in that role instead.

“I’d like to have somebody that can go back that is able to make a tackle,” Toub said to reporters. “Butker is able to make a tackle, but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long. If you watch the XFL, I’d bet kickers were involved in at least 25 to 40 percent of the tackles.”

So is Harrison Butker done with the Chiefs now?

No. The Chiefs will still use Butker. Toub reiterated that he is still the kicker for the Chiefs and will still be used in most kicking situations.

He can be used in certain kickoff situations if the Chiefs try to kick the ball at a certain angle. He’ll also be necessary when the team is trying to kick field goals and score on extra-point attempts.

So, to make a long story short, Butker will still be used. It’s just possible that we see him a bit less.