Harrison Butker Nails Three Field Goals to Help Kansas City Reach Seventh Consecutive AFC Championship Game

Stop me if you've heard this before but the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the AFC Championship. The Chiefs were able to defeat the Houston Texans in a low-scoring matchup between two of the best defenses in the NFL. Kansas City is going for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title and they took their first step today in doing so. While Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs defense get the headlines for Kansas City, former Georgia Tech kicker Harrison Butker has been a crucial part of this Chiefs dynasty and he was again today against the Texans. The Chiefs offense got some red zone opportunities in this game but was unsuccessful. They had to rely on Butker today to get nine crucial points and he did that.

After a fantastic kickoff return to get the game started, the Chiefs offense stalled and had to settle for a 32-yard field goal, which Butker nailed to give Kansas City a 3-0 lead. After Houston responded with their own field goal to tie the game Kansas City had another drive end with a Butker field goal, this one from 36-yards. After forcing a Houston punt in the 4th quarter, the Chiefs got in the red zone again, but could not finish the drive with a touchdown and Butker hit a 27-yard attempt to give the Chiefs a 23-12 lead. He never had to attempt a field goal longer than 40 yards, but that was a plus considering the weather conditions.

What is next for Butker and the Chiefs? They will await the winner of the highly anticipated matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills, which takes place tomorrow night. The Chiefs are in the AFC Championship, which will be played next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET in Kansas City.

Harrison Butker Nails Two Field Goals to Help Kansas City Reach Seventh Consecutive AFC Championship Game — Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) kicks a field goal against the Houston Texans during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Butker has had to deal with injuries this season, but still managed to put together a good campaign. He finished the year 21-25, including a long of 53-yards. He was also 29-31 on extra points.

Butker’s 57-yard field goal in the third quarter of last year's Super Bowl was the longest in Super Bowl history (breaking the previous record of 55, set earlier in the game by San Francisco’s Jake Moody), and his 29-yard field goal with three seconds remaining sent the game to overtime knotted at 19-19.

With four field goals in last year's Super Bowl, Butker has kicked a total of nine field goals in four Super Bowl appearances (LIV, LV, LVII, and LVIII), which is the most all-time, breaking the previous record of seven, shared by Stephen Gostkowski (six Super Bowl appearances with the New England Patriots) and Adam Vinatieri (five Super Bowls with New England and the Indianapolis Colts). With 13 points against the 49ers, Butker has now scored a total of 37 points in his four Super Bowls, which is the most Super Bowl points ever for a kicker and the second-most overall, behind only legendary 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice (48 points).

Here are the Super Bowl records that Butker now holds:

Longest Field Goal – 57 yards (Super Bowl LVIII)

Most Field Goals in a Game (tied) – 4 (LVIII)

Most Field Goals in a Career – 9 (4 games)

Most Kicking Points in a Career – 37 (4 games)

In just his seventh NFL season, Butker also became the first Georgia Tech alum to ever win three Super Bowls, surpassing Tech alums and two-time Super Bowl champs Bill Curry (I – Green Bay Packers, V – Baltimore Colts) and Shaq Mason (LI and LIII – New England).

Butker, who played at Georgia Tech from 2013-16, is the Yellow Jackets’ all-time scoring leader with 337 career points.

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