The Kansas City Chiefs added K Elliott Fry as COVID-19 insurance last week and they’re cashing in on that decision just six days later. The team is opting to sign Fry to the 53-man roster following news that K Harrison Butker had tested positive for the virus and was subsequently placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Fry most recently spent time with the Atlanta Falcons also as COVID-19 insurance, but he got his professional football start with Alliance of American Football league, playing for the Orlando Apollos, going a perfect 14-for-14 when he was with the now-defunct league. Since 2019, Fry has made stops with the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he only first appeared in a professional game in 2020 with the Falcons. He attempted a single 23-yard field goal, which he made, while also going 1-for-2 on extra points.
There is always a chance that Butker could test out of the COVID protocols. Under the league’s new policy, so long as a player is asymptomatic and vaccinated he needs just a single negative test in order to be activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. That said, the decision to sign Fry to the 53-man roster instead of protecting him on the practice squad signals that the team doesn’t expect Butker back this week.
Butker is one of the most consistent kickers in the league, especially when it comes to long-distance field goals. He’ll be missed, but it’s good to know the Chiefs were at least prepared and didn’t have to scramble to find a new kicker.
