The Kansas City Chiefs made the move to sign kicker Spencer Shrader off the New York Jets practice squad in the wake of veteran Harrison Butker being placed on injured reserve after knee surgery.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently commented on the addition of Shrader heading into the Week 11 game against the Buffalo Bills.
“We welcome this kid in and we’ll give him a shot,” Reid said, via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Spencer Shrader: “We welcome this kid in and we’ll give him a shot.”
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) November 15, 2024
Shrader is replacing a multiple Super Bowl champion, an NFL scoring leader, and one of the most clutch kickers in the sport.
It is a tough thing to replace a player of that caliber.
After going undrafted out of Notre Dame, Shrader has spent time on three teams this season.
He made two field goals with the Jets in Week 10 and three extra points with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
The 25-year-old could be with the Chiefs for at least four weeks with Butker healing from his surgery and having to miss four games while on IR.
Luckily, the Chiefs are 9-0 and not in much trouble when it comes to their record, which is why they can afford to take a chance with an inexperienced kicker.
The game against the Bills figures to be a close one where the winner could be whoever has the ball last.
If that team is the Chiefs, their fate in Buffalo could be riding on the leg of Shrader.
