Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is dealing with a left knee injury that will sideline him for three to four weeks, NFL Media first reported Thursday.
The Chiefs have placed Butker on injured reserve while he undergoes a procedure on his knee, though they hope to have him back for the playoffs, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The Chiefs are expected to sign Spencer Shrader off the Jets’ practice squad to fill in for at least the next four weeks, added the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the roster moves.
The Chiefs listed Butker, running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) and defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) — who are each coming off injured reserve — as limited participants at Thursday’s practice.
Butker has been the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history since joining the league in 2017, trailing only Justin Tucker and Eddy Pineiro by making nearly 90% of his attempts. He is 18 of 20 on field goal attempts, with his two misses coming from beyond 50 yards, and 21 of 22 on extra-point attempts. The eight-year kicker’s longest field goal this season is 53 yards.
Butker has spent his entire NFL career with the Chiefs, with whom he signed a four-year, $25.6 million extension in August.
Kansas City is coming off a 16-14 win at home over the AFC West-rival Denver Broncos, which saw Butker connect on three field goals before the Chiefs blocked a walk-off field goal attempt to stay undefeated. Next up for the 9-0 Chiefs is a road matchup against the fellow AFC heavyweight Buffalo Bills (8-2), who Kansas City beat in the AFC divisional round last season.