Chiefs' Harrison Butker becoming highest paid NFL kicker with new deal
The three-time Super Bowl champion is staying with the Chiefs organization on a new deal that will make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL
The three-time Super Bowl champion is staying with the Chiefs organization on a new deal that will make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs and kicker Harrison Butker have come to terms on a new four-year extension.
The three-time Super Bowl Champion is set to stay in Kansas City on a new contract that will make him the highest-paid kicker in the National Football League.
The kicker confirmed the extension in a post on X shortly after NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke the news.
"There’s no place I’d rather be than with the Chiefs, excited to finalize a 4-year extension. To the Heights!" Butker's post reads.
According to Rapoport, the new 4-year deal is worth $25.6 million, $17.8 million of which is guaranteed. At $6.4 million per year, the new contract means that Butker has edged out Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens as the highest-paid kick in NFL history.
Butker reportedly negotiated the deal himself. The kicker still had one year left on his previous deal, meaning that he is now under contract for the next five seasons.
While the Chiefs organization and his teammates have been steadfast in their support, it is worth noting that the massive extension follows an offseason of controversy for the kicker.
Earlier this year, the three-time Super Bowl champion delivered a roughly 20-minute commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, that sparked significant debate nationally.
In the speech, Butker railed against Pride Month along with President Joe Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion.
Butker, who has long made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known, drew the most ire for comments he made about the role of women in society, arguing that their “most important title” should be that of “homemaker.”
Shortly after the address, the NFL made an effort to distance the league from the kicker's comments.
"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization," the league said in a statement. "The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger."
Most recently, the kicker faced criticism for his comments from tennis legend Serena Williams at the ESPYS.
Despite the off-field consternation from some, Butker's play on the field has been nothing short of phenomenal.
The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has become of the NFL’s best kickers, breaking the Chiefs’ franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2022.
Butker helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, added a second Lombardi Trophy in 2023, and kicked the field goal that forced overtime in a Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.
The kicker is a field goal ace with a booming leg. The 29-year-old's role may, however, look slightly different in 2024, with the implementation of the NFL's new kickoff rule.