Kansas City, MO – In a tense post-game moment on Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room turned into a “battleground” when kicker Harrison Butker became the target of sharp criticism from an angry teammate following the fateful 54-yard field goal miss in the final seconds, dooming the Chiefs’ chance to tie the score at 31-31 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (losing 28-31).
According to sources close to the team who spoke to ESPN, the incident unfolded immediately after the Chiefs players entered the locker room at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Butker, often hailed as the “golden foot king” with a success rate over 90% this season, hooked the kick wide right in the decisive situation (0:00 Q4), ending hopes of forcing overtime after Patrick Mahomes’ spectacular comeback drive.
“Harrison, what the hell was that?!” – the sharp curse was reportedly from an offensive lineman on the Chiefs , echoing throughout the locker room. Head coach Andy Reid quickly intervened, pulling Butker aside to calm him down, while Mahomes – who had just thrown for 312 yards and 2 TDs – quietly patted his teammate on the back to ease the tension. “It was a heated moment, but we’re family. No one’s pointing fingers personally,” an internal source shared.
The missed FG not only sealed the Chiefs’ second straight loss (now 4-2, nearly losing the top spot in the AFC West) but also reignited historical ghosts of fateful kicks for the franchise. Chiefs fans on X “exploded” with thousands of memes mocking the “Butker Curse,” comparing it to legendary misses like Cairo Santos’ in 2014 or Butker’s own shank against the Ravens last season. “Mahomes deserved a clean win, not an ending like this,” one fan tweeted with over 50k likes.
But Butker wasn’t the only one under pressure. The game was rife with officiating controversies – from the “overturned” OPI on Travis Kelce to the missed DPI leading to the Jaguars’ pick-six – leading many to claim the Chiefs were “robbed” of a fair shot. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence shone with 279 yards and 3 TDs, while Jacksonville’s defense sacked Mahomes four times. “We played well, but that’s football. Let’s focus on the Saints next week,” Mahomes said in his press conference, sidestepping questions about the locker room drama.
This incident could serve as a “wake-up call” for the Chiefs, who are aiming for the playoffs amid a wobbling dynasty. Butker, 29, has already apologized to the team via an internal group chat: “My fault. I’ll make it up.” Will he get a chance to “redeem” himself in London next week? Only time will tell.
