Here’s what Jets special teams coordinator said about the new Chiefs kicker
Roughly 72 hours before the much-anticipated Chiefs-Bills game, fans in Kansas City got a jolt of bad news.
Kicker Harrison Butker will miss three to four weeks because of an injured left knee. Some Chiefs fans wondered if safety Justin Reid, who has kicked off in an NFL game, would take Butker’s place.
Reid heard the talk from Chiefs Kingdom, but said he won’t be doing the kicking.
“Our new kicker will be handling all the kicking responsibilities guys,” Reid wrote on X, “but I appreciate the vote of confidence!”
The new guy is Spencer Shrader, who will be signed off the Jets practice squad. Shrader shared this Thursday afternoon in an Instagram post while flying to Kansas City: “Life moves fast it has been a blessed adventure!!”
ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported the Jets offered to elevate Shrader to their 53-man roster, but he chose to join the Chiefs instead.
Shortly before the Chiefs claimed Shrader, Jets special-teams coordinator Brant Boyer talked about the kicker, who made two field-goal attempts last Sunday in New York’s 31-6 loss to the Cardinals.
“I thought he handled it really well,” Boyer said in a news conference. “Kid’s got a lot of talent. I think he handled it really well and doing what we asked him to do, and syncing up with those guys, and doing a good job in the game, for sure.”
That was Shrader’s only appearance with the Jets as he filled in for the injured Greg Zuerlein. Shrader, who is a rookie, also kicked in one game for the Colts, making all three extra-point attempts in the season opener.
In a preseason game, Shrader drilled a 56-yard field goal for the Colts. Here is that kick, along with the two field goals he made against the Cardinals and a 58-yard boot in warmups Sunday.
“He’s a young guy that has shown that he’s got a really good leg, and he had shown it in his college tape, and he had shown it in his preseason stuff,” Boyer told reporters Thursday.
Butker’s knee
Jesse Morse, a doctor who comments on NFL injuries, shared his thoughts about Butker.
“Tear in the meniscus of his left knee.” Morse wrote on X. “This is his plant leg, and the meniscus is responsible for handling the torque with twisting. Thankfully, the tear does not appear to be large, when a trim would be counterproductive and most players in that situation opt for a repair.”
Former Cardinals and Steelers punter Drew Butler shared a video on X and wrote: “Harrison Butker has collapsed on his left knee following through EVERY kick this season. It is a change in his technique that really caught my attention, and unfortunately it’s not surprising his left knee needs a meniscus procedure. Hope he gets healthy.”
