More awards for Chiefs’ rookies Kareem Hunt and Harrison Butker

A pair of Chiefs were rewarded for the their strong finish this season.

Running back Kareem Hunt was named AFC offensive rookie of the month for the second time this season.

Also for the second time this season, kicker Harrison Butker is the AFC special teams player of the month. He’s the first rookie kicker to win multiple weekly honors since the award began in 1986.

Over his past four games, Hunt rushed for 397 yards and one touchdown in each game. In last week’s victory over the Broncos, Hunt touched the ball once, and his 35-touchdown run on that play gave him the NFL rushing title with 1,327 yards.

Hunt figured to join other regulars and not dress out for the game in Denver, but the Chiefs were thin at the position.

“Once I dressed and got fully padded, I wanted to try and help the team,” Hunt said.

Hunt knew he needed 14 yards to overtake the Rams’ Todd Gurley, who was inactive on Sunday.

“I knew was like 14 yards away,” he said, “and I’m already dressing and we have only two running backs, so why not try and go get it?”

Butler also had a big moment against the Broncos. He capped his huge season with a first game-winning field goal with no time remaining, the margin of difference in a 27-24 victory.

In his last four games, Butker booted 14 field goals in 16 attempts and authored the most productive season by a kicker in Chiefs history.

His 38 field goals (in 42 attempts) and 142 points this season are the most all-time by a Chiefs kicker. He has kicked a field goal in all 13 games he’s played in a Chiefs uniform, the second-longest streak in team history.

Butker, who played at Georgia Tech, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers but didn’t win the job out of training camp. The Chiefs picked him up when starter Cairo Santos suffered an injury in the third week.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 12:01 PM with the headline "More awards for Chiefs’ rookies Kareem Hunt and Harrison Butker."