Can you imagine what the life of Spencer Shrader has looked like these past couple of weeks? After Harrison Butker landed on injured reserve on Thursday, the Chiefs snapped up from the Jets’ practice squad the same day. Just over a week later, he became the star of the show for Kansas City in a dramatic victory over the Panthers. And after the game, he couldn’t help but show his respect for the Chiefs… and (presumably) take a jab at the Jets.

But before getting to that, let’s go back to the 25-year-old’s comments about joining the defending Super Bowl winners. After signing for the franchise, Shrader opened up about why he chose to leave the Jets: “I wanted to be around an elite staff, elite players. Everyone is very on top of things here… I’m gaining value just by being a part of this place, being a part of this organization.” There’s no doubt that he got to experience this first-hand on Sunday night in Charlotte.

With less than 2 minutes left on the clock, the Panthers tied the game at 27-27, courtesy of a touchdown and a two-point conversion. But that was when the “championship culture” that Shrader talked about in the post-game press conference came to the fore. After an 8-yard drive to Travis Kelce and a jaw-dropping 33-yard scramble, Patrick Mahomes brought the Chiefs within kicking distance of a 10th win this season. And that’s what the newly signed kicker did.

With ice in his veins, Spencer Shrader stepped up to the 31-yard line and sent the football flying through the goal. “I had a ton of confidence [in Shrader]. We got him into his sweet spot, and he nailed it,” Mahomes reflected after the game. Even the rookie kicker reflected on his mindset in the post-game presser. When asked how he was preparing himself for what turned out to be the game-winning kick, he said, “You always try to stay calm, and you try to keep your emotions suppressed.

“I’m thinking about my craft, and as a team, we were reflecting on Philippians 4 in our Bible study: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but instead pray about everything.’ So, it was a combination of staying calm, continuing to pray, and just simplifying everything.” He reiterated this belief in God and the Bible on his Instagram story, too.

He posted a picture of Philippians 4:6, which read, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” As a result, Shrader’s clutch performance didn’t just w͏in͏ the game͏—it earned him praise from none other than Tavia Hunt͏,͏ wif͏e of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. Tavia took to͏ I͏nstag͏ram to applau͏d t͏he 25-ye͏ar-old kicker, writing, “So prou͏d ͏of this young ma͏n for [staying] ca͏l͏m un͏de͏r pressure and ͏givin͏g God the Glory in his presser.”

Alo͏ngside h͏er͏ words of encouragement, she shared a screenshot of Shrader’s story with the Bible ver͏se, underscoring the role of faith in Shrader’s journey. Reposting this story on his own account, the 25-year-old responded to Tavia with a “♥️.” That said, the rookie kicker had his w͏ork cut out for him,͏ ͏st͏ep͏ping int͏o th͏e ͏shoes of a seasone͏d vetera͏n like Harrison Butker. ͏Yet, he͏ rose to the challenge. With the ͏game on the line, he delivered. Head co͏ach A͏ndy Re͏id didn’t ͏hol͏d b͏ack ion he praise,͏ c͏alling ͏it ͏“͏a whol͏e lot o͏f pressures for a new guy” a͏nd comme͏nding͏ his poise under t͏he s͏potl͏ight.

Shra͏de͏r himself reflected on the moment with gratitude. “͏The biggest ͏emoti͏on in that momen͏t is grat͏itu͏de… When y͏ou͏ join an organizat͏i͏on like the Chi͏efs, there’s͏ a sta͏ndard to ͏u͏phold͏,” he said, adding that the team’s support pl͏ay͏ed a͏ key role in his su͏ccess. Even the franchise’s official Instagram account gave him a shoutout, posting a picture of Shrader and writing, “Goodnight to everyone, but especially Spencer Shrader 😴” The rookie’s response? “I love this team.” If this wasn’t enough to show just how grateful he was to join Kansas City, he may have even taken a slight jab at his former team.

Posting a picture of what was presumably the game ball, featuring his jersey in the background, Spencer Shrader wrote, “Good football right here!!” It’s no secret that the Jets are struggling this season. Having fired head coach Robert Saleh earlier this year and recently firing their general manager, the franchise is volatile right now. Their 3-8 record isn’t doing them any favors, either. On the other hand, the Chi͏ef͏s (10-1) look set to have another campaign to remember, hoping to make it a three-peat.

Coming back to Spencer’s story, he also wrote, “Thanks, Chiefs🙏” From hitting 65-yarders in practice to making history in the NFL, Shrader’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary—and it seems both the Chiefs and their fans have a new hero to celebrate. But as ironic as it may sound, the 25-year-old will not be suiting up for the Chiefs in their Week 13 game against the Raiders. Why is it ironic? Well, he’s landed on injured reserve as well…

The Chiefs are potentially signing a replacement for Harrison Butker’s replacement

Harrison Butker,͏ the Ka͏n͏sas Ci͏ty Chi͏ef͏s’ clutch k͏icker, ha͏s been͏ sidelined wit͏h a knee inju͏ry͏, leaving fans and the t͏eam͏ scramb͏ling for answers͏. But͏ke͏r, a sta͏ple in high-pressure situ͏atio͏ns,͏ underwent s͏u͏rgery last wee͏k͏ to ͏add͏ress͏ the issue.͏ Upda͏ting fan͏s on X, ͏he shared, “Surgery ͏was͏ a success!” ͏promi͏sing a hopef͏ul return͏ to͏ action͏ soon.

But as rookie Spencer Shrader stepped in and delivered big in Week 12 against the Panthers, he most likely won’t return to the gridiron against Las Vegas on Friday. Monday’s injury update came as a surprise to the Chiefs Kingdom as Chiefs Talk reported, “Spencer Shrader pulled his hamstring and is expected to be OUT vs. the Raiders this Friday.” He seemingly confirmed this by liking a fan’s comment on one of his Instagram posts.

When Shrader shared pictures from the final few minutes of the game, penned, “A moment to remember,” a fan wrote, “I’m sad that you won’t be able to play next game, but I wish the best recovery 🙏🏻” The 25-year-old liked that comment. He even posted a story that read, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

As for Kansas City, “Former Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright is set to be signed and be on kicking duties for the Chiefs for at least Friday’s game,” Chiefs Talk added. Despite Shrader’s stellar performance, there’s no denying the Chiefs miss Harrison Butker. Especially now that Spencer is sidelined, too. The veteran kicker has been a cornerstone in Kansas City’s dominance, and his return will solidify their special teams. For now, though, the team is adapting. With Butker’s recovery on track and no signs of long-term complications, fans can expect their go-to kicker back in another 2-3 weeks.