For decades, a 63-yard field goal was the gold standard for kickers. Then when Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater and Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker booted 64 and 66-yard kicks, the sky was the limit for just how far kickers can convert field goals.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is one of the top kickers in the NFL and he has his sights set on someday blowing Tucker’s record out of the water. Butker revealed that under the right circumstances, he can go for 70.
“Yeah, definitely,” Butker said via The Kansas City Star. “I mean, the conditions have to be right. It’s got to be warm, probably some wind at your back…But I feel like I have the distance for it, definitely.”
Butker made a 66-yarder in warmups against the Chicago Bears and has attempted longer kicks. The kicker said that he’s been working on improving his technique by “keeping his foot perpendicular with the ball” and “finishing through the ball for more power while getting rid of an old habit of pulling his foot left immediately after contact.” When it comes to long field goals, it’s a lot more than just having leg power so every little tweak helps.
Obviously, warmups are different than actual game conditions and it might be a while before Butker can have an opportunity to drill a field goal that long. You need the perfect circumstances of having the ball in the right spot on fourth down (or at the end of a half) and be in a situation where head coach Andy Reid is willing to try for a long field goal that has a good chance of not being converted or returned. And that doesn’t take into consideration for the weather conditions.
But if the Chiefs find themselves situated at their own 47 on fourth down and the wind is moving the right way (bonus if they’re playing in Denver), Harrison Butker is going to be itching to boot that ball.
