Full Breakdown
Harrison Butker’s 69-Yard Field Goal Stuns Preseason but Won’t Enter Record Books
8/23/2026, 8:08:42 AM
The Kick and Game Outcome
On August 22, 2026, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in a preseason contest. With three seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs sent kicker Harrison Butker onto the field after a fourth-down stop. He connected on a 69-yard field goal, extending Kansas City’s lead to 9-0 at halftime.
In the second half, the Chiefs missed an extra point when the ball struck the upright on the retry, and Butker later missed a 43-yard attempt that would have given Kansas City a late lead. Tampa Bay rallied and won 16-15.
Historical Context of Long Field Goals
The longest regular-season field goal is 68 yards, set by Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little last season. The previous record of 66 yards was held by Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker. Little also recorded a 70-yard field goal in a preseason game the year before, but preseason kicks are excluded from official records.
In college football, the longest field goal is a 69-yard effort by Ove Johansson in 1976.
Data & Statistics
- Butker’s kicks: 69-yard (first half), 58-yard and 45-yard field goals earlier in the half; missed 43-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
- Extra point: Blocked attempt rebounded off the upright; the retry also missed.
- Career long (regular season): 62 yards (Buffalo Bills, 2022).
- Franchise record: 62 yards remains the Chiefs’ longest regular-season field goal.
Official Statements & Responses
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the performance “was a heck of a day” for Butker and emphasized that the kicker would learn from the missed kicks and move on.
Butker stressed consistency, stating that “you’ve got to make your kicks. Miss an extra point, miss a game-winner.”
Special-teams coordinator Darrin Simmons linked the increase in long kicks to the NFL’s new “K-ball” rule, which provides softer, pre-broken footballs.
Why It Matters / Impact
Although preseason statistics do not count toward official NFL records, the 69-yard make demonstrates the Chiefs’ confidence in Butker’s leg strength heading into the 2026 regular season. The kick also highlights the effect of the K-ball rule on kicking distances, a factor analysts believe could push future regular-season records farther.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on how the kick would rank if it counted: some describe it as the longest field goal ever, others say it would be the second-longest, and a few note it would tie for second-longest. The discrepancy stems from whether Little’s 70-yard preseason kick is considered. No official NFL statement has clarified the record-book status of preseason kicks.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You've got to make your kicks. Miss an extra point, miss a game-winner. That's what I care about, not the 69-yarder or whatever it was,” — Harrison Butker
- “I believe it makes a big difference and I think that's why the distances on some of these long field goals went up and I think it will continue to just skyrocket as long as that rule stays in place the way it is,” — Darrin Simmons
