Chiefs K Harrison Butker was one of the stars of the Super Bowl, hitting home the longest field goal in the history of the contest when he banged one home from 57 yards in the third quarter.

Butker has been one of the NFL’s best for over a half-decade now. Have any other Chiefs’ kickers been as good as the current KC stalwart? Keep reading this Betway Insider top 10 to find out.

As usual, all stats are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and are accurate through the end of the 2023 NFL regular season.

Who is the Kansas City Chiefs starting Kicker for the 2023 season?

The Kansas City Chiefs starting kicker for the 2023 NFL season was Harrison Butker, who’s been the starter since 2017.

Kansas City Chiefs Kicker History

 Chiefs kickers' history started with Jan Stenerud, who was one of the first full-time kicking specialists in NFL history. The Norwegian won a Super Bowl in KC, made multiple Pro Bowls, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Famous Kansas City Chiefs Kickers

Other famous kickers for the Chiefs include the team’s rotating cast of semi-successful booters from the early Andy Reid era like Cairo Santos and Ryan Succop.

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Kansas City Chiefs Kickers of all time

PUNTER:

  1. Jerrel Wilson, 1963-1977

We like to customarily start off our greatest kickers lists with the best punter in franchise history: for the Kansas City Chiefs, that honor belongs to Jerrel Wilson. The 11th-round pick lasted 15 years as the starter in KC, earning some impressive honors along the way.

Wilson was a star of both the AFL and NFL era. In the AFL he was a 2x Champion, 1x AFL punting yards leader, and a member of the AFL All-Time Team. In the NFL, he was a Super Bowl IV Champion, 3x Pro Bowler, 1x NFL punting yards leader, and member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team.

  1. Lin Elliott, 1994-1995

Former Chiefs kicker Lindley “Lin” Elliott started his career as the kicker on the Super Bowl XXVII-winning Dallas Cowboys. After a disappointing start to the 1993 season, he was released and joined the Chiefs.

Elliott was strong in the regular season for the Chiefs, converting 49/60 FGs for a 81.7% clip. However, he had a stinker in the 1995 postseason, missing three field goals in a narrow 10-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Elliott was released and never played in the NFL again.

  1. Morten Andersen, 2002-2003

The Kansas City Chiefs were the fourth stop in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Career for NFL kicking legend Morten Andersen. The Danishman was not at his All-Pro peak from the 1980s/1990s when he signed with the Chiefs as a 42-year-old in 2002, but he had a pair of good years left.

Andersen converted the 11th-most field goals in franchise history, banging home 38/46 in two seasons. His 82.6% accuracy is the fourth-best in Chiefs history amongst players with at least 10 games played.

  1. Lawrence Tynes, 2004-2006

Former Chiefs K Lawrence Tynes is perhaps best remembered for his time with the New York Giants, where his clutch kicks helped propel NY to two Super Bowl titles. He started his career toiling in the NFL European program from 2001-2003 before being named the Chiefs kicker for the 2004 season.

Tynes was solid but not remarkable in Kansas City, converting 78.2% of his FGs over three seasons. He has the seventh-most made field goals in franchise history and the sixth-most extra points made.

  1. Pete Stoyanovich, 1996-2000

Former Chiefs K Pete Stoyanovich was a First-team All-Pro in Miami at the start of his career. He moved to Kansas City ahead of the 1996 season and retained his status as one of the best kickers in the league.

Stoyanovich’s best season in KC came in 1997 when he led the league by making a stunning 96.3% of his FG attempts (26/27). In all, he made the fifth-most field goals in team history and missed just one XP in five years as the Chiefs starter.

  1. Ryan Succop, 2009-2013

Former Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop transcended eras in KC -- when he joined the team, they were cellar-dwellers without a direction. He then saw both QBs Matt Cassel and Alex Smith arrive to help turn Kansas City back into winners.

Succop never missed an extra point for KC. He converted 81% of his field goals for the franchise, though a shaky 78.6% in 2013 led the team to move on from the veteran kicker. Overall, Succop has the fourth-most made field goals in franchise history.

  1. Cairo Santos, 2014-2017

Current Bears K Cairo Santos was a standout in Kansas City from 2014-2017. The past Chiefs kicker made 89/105 kicks in Kansas City for a mark of 84.8%, the second-best mark in franchise history for any kicker with at least five FG attempts.

The Brazilian-born Santos also went a perfect six for six on playoff field goal attempts. He likely would have remained the starter longer if not for an injury midway through the 2017 season. Santos joined the Bears once he got healthy and has bounced around the NFL ever since.

  1. Jan Stenerud, 1967-1979

The Norwegian-born Jan Stenerud was one of the first notable European stars in the NFL. While he only converted 65% of his field goals in Kansas City over a glistening 13-year stint, Stenerud was one of the top kickers of his generation.

How so? Try this: in Kansas City, the Norwegian made 3 First-team All-Pro squads, 2 First-team All-AFL teams, 4 Pro Bowls, was a 2x AFL All-Star, and was both an AFL and Super Bowl Champion.

Stenerud is not only a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but also the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary teams.

  1. Nick Lowery, 1980-1993

Who has made the most field goals in Kansas City Chiefs history? The answer is Nick Lowery, who spent 14 of his 18 NFL seasons as a Chief. He was also a 3x Pro Bowler and 2x First-team All-Pro.

Lowery made 329 FGs in Kansas City and a further 99.2% of his extra points. So, why isn’t he in the top spot on this list? Lowery went just 8/12 on playoff field goals, including some timely misses:

  • Missed 52-yarder against the Miami Dolphins trailing 17-16 with 49 seconds left in the 1990 playoffs
  • Missed from 33 and 47 yards in a 10-6 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the 1991 playoffs
  • Missed a potential game-winner against the Steelers in the 1993 playoffs, though he did hit the eventual winner in overtime

Chiefs fans probably prefer the next guy on this list.

  1. Harrison Butker, 2017-Present

Why is current Kansas City K Harrison Butker the best kicker in Chiefs history? Let’s look at his Kansas City resume:

  • 3x Super Bowl Champion
  • Longest made field goal in a Super Bowl (57 yds)
  • Most career Super Bowl field goals (9)
  • 89% career field goal accuracy (best in Chiefs history)
  • 9% on playoff field goals (32/26)

Butker already has the third-most made field goals in franchise history at the age of 28. He looks destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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