Throughout the offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs have routinely indicated that kicker Harrison Butker would not be the team’s primary kickoff specialist this season as the team looked to utilize safety, Eric Reid, to give the kickoff team an extra tackler on the field. But in a surprising turn of events, it sounds like that’s not the case, after all.
Earlier this offseason, Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub made it pretty clear that the team planned to use Eric Reid as its primary kickoff specialist due to his tackling ability as a result of the new rules. Toub said that Harrison Butker would only be used “in certain situations.”
“I like to have somebody that’s able to make a tackle. Butker’s able to make a tackle, but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long,” Toub said back in May. “If you watch the XFL, we watched every play, I’d bet kickers were involved in probably at least 25-40% of the tackles… we don’t want Butker in that situation. But he will be a kicker. He will be a guy we’ll use in certain situations.”
Reid validated this further a few weeks later when he made it clear that he was expecting to be the team’s primary kickoff specialist this season and Butker would be reserved for field goals.
“We’re in a great place with it,” Reid said last month. “Although I know he can make some tackles, I think he’s excited to preserve himself, and we can use him where we really need him, which is those fourth-quarter situations to go nail a 60-yard field goal and win the game. It would be devastating to try and trot a guy out there who’s still nicked up from trying to make a tackle in the second quarter.”
So when Toub announced this week that Butker would indeed be the team’s primary kickoff specialist, it was obviously quite a bit surprising.
“Butker’s going to be our main kickoff guy. I mean, hands down,” Toub said during an interview this week according to Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star. “Because he can move the ball and do a lot of different things. He’s our most talented kickoff guy.”
Obviously, this led to a lot of reactions on social media as the announcement quickly went viral.
Dave Toub says Harrison Butker will be the Chiefs' "main kickoff guy" this year.
Doesn't sound like Justin Reid or Louis Rees-Zammit will be the primary there.
— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) July 27, 2024
So much being made about this kickoff rule when most teams will just kick through the end zone
— Jim (@Bet_TheSpread2) July 29, 2024
Whatever. Anything to keep his mouth shut.
— KyKate (@KateforKy) July 29, 2024
Harrison Butker will remain as the main kickoff kicker for the #Chiefs.. Dave Toub mentioned Louis Rees-Zammit and Justin Reid will be in the mix as he's said previously..
— PJ Green (@ByPJGreen) July 27, 2024
Chiefs backtrack on this unconventional kickoff idea they had considered implementing for 2024 season
It looks like Harrison Butker will handle kickoffs after all pic.twitter.com/mg8ZHDZGPH
— Forex Hint (@LinChen59672021) July 30, 2024
Clearly, something has changed in recent weeks.
