Harrison Butker's 69-yard field goal demonstrates the NFL's latest big scoring controversy

It wasn’t long ago that most of sports media, and other legacy media, tried to ruin Harrison Butker’s life and career because he’s a religious Catholic.

Butker’s crime was sharing those views, including that the most important thing in most people’s lives should be having a family, at a commencement speech at a…Catholic university. He was swiftly condemned by many, while the NFL rushed to distance themselves from those views and reaffirm their commitment to wokeness.

Still, in a great credit to their organization, the Kansas City Chiefs stuck by him while others may have immediately cut him to avoid angering the sports media mob. And they’re likely glad they did. The 31-year-old in 2025 made 33 of 38 field goal attempts with a long of 59.

Cam Little made kicks of 67 and 68 yards. Butker clearly has 69-70 in the tank. And as coaches realize that the 45-50 yard-line is now field goal territory, we’ll see those attempts increase. Maybe fans don’t or won’t care that teams can run six plays, gain 18 yards, and get points, but that’s not good, compelling, or exciting football.

That’s how desperate the NFL is to keep scoring up and avoid the era of defensive dominance. They’re usually able to get away with anything, no matter how ridiculous, because fans refuse to turn even atrociously boring games off. Maybe this’ll be enough to start. But probably not.