Chiefs star Harrison Butker breaks silence after being sidelined with devastating knee injury

Kansas City Chiefs starting kicker Harrison Butker has issued a message to fans after it was revealed that he had been sidelined with injury.

The reigning Super Bowl champions placed Butker on Injured Reserve Thursday due to a knee injury - just three days before their AFC showdown against the Buffalo Bills .

It was announced that the controversial NFL player would undergo surgery on his meniscus in his left knee.

Butker took to social media Friday morning to break his silence, offering Chiefs fans a brief update.

'Surgery went great!' he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter , 'Thank you for the prayers.'

The Chiefs' move to place Butker on IR means that he will not play for the next four weeks and may not return until Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns.

It comes as a huge blow for Kansas City amid their historic quest for the Super Bowl three-peat.

Butker has proved crucial throughout this season's run, with his clutch kicks helping the Chiefs to remain undefeated.

In a pinch, the Chiefs have used safety Justin Reid as an emergency kicker. The length of Butker's injury appears to have forced the team to bring in a specialist.

To fill the vacancy, the Chiefs are signing Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad to their 53-man roster.

Shrader is an NFL rookie who went undrafted this year and spent time with the Colts before ending up in New York.

It is unclear who Butker got injured, as he played throughout Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos .

Butker has been the Chiefs' kicker for all three Super Bowl victories since 2020 and the franchise will hope to have him suited up for the final push to the season finale again this year.

His expected recovery timeline should have him back on the field for the home stretch of the regular season and the playoffs.

Butker signed a four-year, $25.6million contract that includes $17.8million in guaranteed money, making him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history.