Chiefs' Harrison Butker drills 69-yard field goal in preseason game

That would have been good from well beyond 70 yards. 

Between 1960 and 2014, there were only 14 field goals of more than 60 yards made during an NFL regular-season game, and 63 was the limit of that range. And several of those took place in Denver, where the thin air could help the ball gain a few extra feet (or yards) of distance.

Now 60-yard field goals are becoming a thing that we commonly see every NFL season, if not every week. 

Whether it is Little, Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey or any other random kicker across the league, a 60-yard kick is now within the makable range for most kickers.

It was not that long ago that anything beyond 50 yards was seen as a Herculean task, and anything beyond 40 was seen as a challenge.

Now anything under 50 should be seen as nearly automatic, and kickers are starting to make it so their offense does not even need to make it across midfield to be in range.

Part of this is simply the natural evolution of players. The next generation is always better, more athletic and has access to better training and information. Another part of it is the introduction of the "K balls" that see special footballs brought out for every kick. 

It is starting to get to a point where it is worth asking if, and when, the NFL is going to do something to make kicks a little more difficult. They already moved the extra point back because they were seen as too easy and not any sort of a challenge. Is it time to scrap the K balls? Do the uprights need to be narrowed? Does any of that even matter given how good kickers have become? 

Whatever the case, the Chiefs now know what Butker's range for the 2026 season is. It is far.