FanSided is debuting Kick Value Added (KVA), a brand-new, proprietary metric designed to evaluate NFL kicking performance in a way that hasn’t existed before.
The core idea is simple: Instead of treating all makes and misses equally, KVA measures how much value a kicker actually adds (or costs) relative to league expectations from the same distances across the field. A long-distance conversion shouldn’t be weighed the same as a chip shot, and a miss doesn’t carry the same meaning everywhere on the field. As we saw during a 2025 season that featured incredible long-range success, making a 55-yarder this year shouldn't be treated the same as a kicker drilling a 55-yarder in 1985. KVA captures that difference.
As we move toward the 2026 season, we’ll expand KVA to explore the top kicking careers in NFL history, the most valuable kickers for each franchise, the greatest kicks on record, and much more. You'll learn about how a Hall of Fame kicker is closer to No. 20 than No. 1 in the career standings, how only one franchise has had less fortune at the position than the one calling the Windy City home, and how the Kansas City Chiefs lay claim to the most underrated kicker ever.
But today, we're launching KVA publicly by using it to rank every kicker with at least one field-goal or extra-point attempt during the 2025 NFL season. Let’s count down toward the position’s top performer this year.
How we measure Kick Value Added
A score of 0.0 serves as the breakeven point (pure averageness), with positive numbers indicating value added and negative numbers indicating value lost. Each miss drags someone further down, while each make (aside from the true chip shots) pushes them toward higher numbers, which is why you'll often see low-volume kickers clustered together. You can read more about the methodology in an article about Nick Folk on The Jet Press, which served as the thought-starter for this whole project.
Ranking every 2025 kicker by KVA
43. Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers: -11.4029 KVA
42. Joshua Karty, Los Angeles Rams: -11.0817 KVA
41. Blake Grupe, New Orleans Saints/Indianapolis Colts: -6.099 KVA
40. Andres Borregales, New England Patriots: -5.9009 KVA
39. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons/New York Giants: -5.6278 KVA
38. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles: -5.3798 KVA
37. Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals: -5.1792 KVA
36. Matt Gay, Washington Commanders/San Francisco 49ers: -4.4802 KVA
Effectively booting the Green Bay Packers from the postseason in a Wild Card Round loss to their bitter rivals, Brandon McManus posted the second-worst kicking game of the 2025 season (-5.3696 KVA) by missing from both 55 and 44 and pulling an extra-point attempt wide left from the start. Joshua Karty lost his job to Harrison Mevis after missing eight kicks in eight games, and Blake Grupe Tale of Two Cities-ed his way to -12.03 KVA with the New Orleans Saints (the worst of times) and 5.931 KVA with the Indianapolis Colts (the best of times).
Sixth-round rookie Andres Borregales got off to a rough start with a missed 40-yarder and two unsuccessful extra-point tries through two career games, rebounded nicely, and then bottomed out with two misses (albeit one on a 63-yard prayer) in the AFC Conference Championship Game.
Younghoe Koo managed to lose a job with both the Atlanta Falcons (-1.5339 KVA) and New York Giants (-4.0939 KVA), even flat-out missing the ball on an attempted kick for the latter. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t part with Jake Elliott, but the 31-year-old has now posted back-to-back campaigns in the red.
Chad Ryland effectively canceled out the strides he made throughout 2024 and now enters restricted free agency on a sour note. At least Matt Gay performed well for the San Francisco 49ers as a fill-in for an injured Eddy Pineiro?
35. Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers/Chicago Bears/Washington Commanders: -4.1197 KVA
34. John Parker Romo, Atlanta Falcons: -3.5911 KVA
33. Jake Bates, Detroit Lions: -3.1217 KVA
32. Ryan Fitzgerald, Carolina Panthers: -3.0708 KVA
31. Jude McAtamney, New York Giants: -2.3259 KVA
Jake Moody wasn’t particularly impressive for any of his three teams, though he may have done enough for the Washington Commanders (0.4748 KVA) to consider giving him a look in 2026. John Parker Romo will always have the distinction of being sandwiched between Younghoe Koo and Zane Gonzalez in the Atlanta Falcons' kicker chronology. Failing to follow up on a phenomenal first year, Jake Bates missed a whopping seven field goals and two extra points.
Ryan Fitzgerald posted -7.031 KVA from Weeks 8-12 but otherwise played well as an undrafted rookie out of Florida State. Former Gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney reached his nadir in Week 7 when he missed a pair of extra points — the latter coming with 0:37 left and keeping the New York Giants up just two on the Denver Broncos, who marched down the field and won on a Wil Lutz 39-yarder.
30. Wil Lutz, Denver Broncos: -2.1591 KVA
29. Charlie Smyth, New Orleans Saints: -1.2891 KVA
28. Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders: -1.0249 KVA
27. Jamie Gillan, New York Giants: -0.9577 KVA
26. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs: -0.8965 KVA
Speaking of the Broncos kicker, Wil Lutz capitalized on roughly a bajillion short makes but finished his season missing from 45 and 54 yards — his fifth and sixth unsuccessful tries of the year — in a blizzardy AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots. A rookie after transitioning away from his own Gaelic football career, Charlie Smyth had the leg to take and make three kicks from at least 56 yards but also displayed sporadic accuracy from long range.
Daniel Carlson is now even further removed from his sterling 2020-22 stretch, missing five field goals and an extra-point attempt. Meanwhile, consider Jamie Gillan a novelty inclusion. The New York Giants punter couldn’t connect on his lone extra-point try for the second consecutive year … but at least this one was blocked? Then again, the low trajectory might not absolve him of responsibility.
Harrison Butker has followed up his peak 2023 season (No. 125 in league history) with two straight negative campaigns. Is this the beginning of a prolonged rough path — a distinct possibility given the importance of the mental game at this position — or will he refocus if the Kansas City Chiefs regain their former level of dynastic competitiveness?
25. Michael Badgley, Indianapolis Colts/Buffalo Bills: -0.89 KVA
24. Joey Slye, Tennessee Titans: -0.4954 KVA
23. Tyler Loop, Baltimore Ravens: -0.2867 KVA
22. Lucas Havrisik, Green Bay Packers: 0.6217 KVA
21. Graham Gano, New York Giants: 0.6882 KVA
Released by both the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills, Michael Badgley managed to miss five of his 25 extra-point tries (one blocked) to negate his consistency on three-point conversions. Joey Slye struggled with field goals far more than PATs, failing to send the ball through the uprights from 41, 43, 50, 52, 58, 62, and 64 yards. He did, however, cement a victory over the Arizona Cardinals with a 29-yarder that served as the first game-winning field goal of his career.
Tyler Loop had a largely respectable rookie season that will only be remembered for the missed 44-yarder on the final play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, one that turned a playoff berth into an early offseason.
Lucas Havrisik missed two extra points but drilled a franchise-record 61-yarder while filling in for an injured Brandon McManus, and Green Bay Packers fans probably wish he’d stolen the job for good. Graham Gano had an efficient 2025 but only appeared in five games due to hamstring and back injuries.
20. Ben Sauls, New York Giants
KVA: 1.9881
Kicking Line: 8-of-8 on FGs; 7-of-7 on XPAs
Age: 24
Previous Three Years: Rookie in 2025
The first left-footed kicker since Sebastian Janikowski hung up his cleats up after the 2018 season, Ben Sauls moved his way through the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons organizations before landing with the New York Giants' practice squad and earning an elevation on the heels of stints by Graham Gano, Jude McAtamney, and Younghoe Koo. He didn’t exactly squander his opportunity.
Sauls succeeded on every single one of his attempts, but he never received any opportunities to flex his southpaw style from distance. The Giants didn’t grant him a chance to hit from beyond 45 yards, giving him every reason to feel “jealous” of long-distance kickers like Cam Little, as he revealed to Big Blue View's Ed Valentine. His average distance on made field goals (31.75 yards) was the second-lowest mark among all kickers, beating only McAtamney (26.5 yards on two makes).
Still, Sauls proved he wasn’t just a novelty act. The Pittsburgh product did exactly what he was asked to do, and he did it with aplomb.
19. Matthew Wright, Tennessee Titans/Washington Commanders/Houston Texans
KVA: 2.1267
Kicking Line: 5-of-5 on FGs; 4-of-4 on XPAs
Age: 29
Previous Three Years: 2.394 KVA in 2022 (No. 23) → -2.0684 KVA in 2023 (No. 31) → 4.5529 KVA in 2024 (No. 17)
Somehow, Matthew Wright has now kicked for eight different teams: the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020, 2022), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), Kansas City Chiefs (2022, 2024), Carolina Panthers (2023), San Francisco 49ers (2024), Tennessee Titans (2024-25), Washington Commanders (2025), and Houston Texans (2025). He’s already 29 years old, but at least he’s got just 24 squads left to go in his tour of the league.
Though that type of turnover might lead to assumptions that Wright has struggled, the former Lockheed Martin engineer actually sits only a bit outside the top 120 in career KVA and has posted a positive score every season but 2023. This campaign was no exception as he made everything he touched, topping out with a 46-yarder for the Titans in Week 6.
Considering Wright’s final performance of 2025 saw him connect from 35, 41, and 43 yards in a 16-13 win by Houston — somewhat ironically at Tennessee's expense — he really might not be done racking up NFL experience. We just have no clue whatsoever where he'll find himself next.
18. Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts
KVA: 2.3307
Kicking Line: 13-of-14 on FGs; 14-of-14 on XPAs
Age: 26
Previous Three Years: 1.9671 KVA as a rookie in 2024 (No. 23)
Before tearing his right ACL and MCL in a collision with Las Vegas Raiders safety Tristin McCollum, Spencer Shrader was putting together a fantastic season for the Indianapolis Colts. His lone miss came on a 51-yarder he left out to the right, and knocking 13 field goals through the uprights in just five games put him on a pace that would’ve left him among the league leaders had he 1) maintained it and 2) remained healthy.
So why isn’t Shrader higher?
Well, the 26-year-old has now gone 18-of-19 on field goals and 23-of-23 on extra-point attempts through two years in the NFL, but he’s been a short-range specialist. A 52-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 28 is the longest conversion of his career, and his average hit has come from a meager 34.6 yards. He’s actually made more field goals from under 30 yards (seven) than over 40 (five).
Shrader is the Notre Dame record-holder for longest field goal (54 yards), but we still have yet to witness too much of his power in the professional ranks.
17. Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
KVA: 2.6729
Kicking Line: 32-of-38 on FGs; 32-of-33 on XPAs
Age: 29
Previous Three Years: 7.3979 KVA in 2022 (No. 8) → 10.2032 KVA in 2023 (No. 4) → 12.1166 KVA in 2024 (No. 6)
Somehow, Chase McLaughlin managed to have three kicks blocked despite missing just six field-goal attempts all year.
First came a 43-yarder blocked by the Minnesota Vikings’ Will McDonald, who jumped over the line and gave him no room to operate. Zeek Biggers of the Miami Dolphins got a fingertip on a 55-yarder, but McLaughlin may well deserve the blame after taking his sweet time to approach the ball. The Carolina Panthers’ Cam Jackson blocked a 38-yarder (and may have gotten away with using the center for leverage).
Had those three kicks flown through the uprights, McLaughlin would’ve finished his age-29 season with 11.6729 KVA and ranked No. 4. Considering he sat within the top eight during each of the previous three seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have no reason to doubt his ability heading into the 2026 league year.
Plus, it helps that his 65-yarder against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 28 set a new NFL record for longest outdoor field goal, even if it only stood for a few months before Cam Little topped it by two yards.
16. Andre Szmyt, Cleveland Browns
KVA: 2.7593
Kicking Line: 24-of-27 on FGs; 25-of-26 on XPAs
Age: 27
Previous Three Years: Rookie in 2025
Two years after going undrafted out of Syracuse, Andre Szmyt finally got his shot. And the Cleveland Browns may have found a keeper.
Szmyt's tenure couldn't have gotten off to a worse start as he misfired from 36 yards on his second career attempt and missed an extra point in a 17-16 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But those were two of his only blemishes on the year, and he even got redemption to close out his rookie season when he drilled a 49-yarder as time expired to beat Cincinnati, 20-18.
“Very proud of him,” then-head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the conclusion of the campaign, per Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. “Confidence in him never wavered. I felt it was the right thing to do to keep him where he was. He showed in practice all the time that he was very consistent.”
Szmyt played 2025 on a one-year minimum contract. But considering he’s a Lou Groza Award winner (2018), bounced back with aplomb after fans were calling for his head in Week 1, drilled a 55-yard game-winner against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, and more than held his own throughout the year, he might be operating on more favorable terms in 2026.
15. Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears
KVA: 3. 3294
Kicking Line: 29-of-34 on FGs; 43-of-43 on XPAs
Age: 34
Previous Three Years: 2.9351 KVA in 2022 (No. 21) → 8.6432 KVA in 2023 (No. 8) → 6.2022 KVA in 2024 (No. 12)
Given the winds that whip in off Lake Michigan and the bitter cold that pervades Soldier Field, kickers don't usually find much late-season success in Chicago. It's a big reason the Bears have historically struggled to find quality options at the position and are one of two NFL franchises with negative total KVA throughout their existence. Cairo Santos, however, is the exception. Take a gander at the conditions for his home performances in 2025:
- Sept. 8: 1-of-2 FG and 3-3 XP (-1.5951 KVA) with 6 mph winds at 68 degrees
- Sept. 21: 1-of-1 FG and 4-4 XP (0.3042 KVA) with 4 mph winds at 82 degrees
- Nov. 9: 1-of-1 FG and 3-3 XP (0.1269 KVA) with 10 mph winds at 33 degrees
- Nov. 23: 1-of-1 FG and 4-4 XP (0.8397 KVA) with 3 mph winds at 51 degrees
- Dec. 14: 1-of-2 FG and 4-4 XP (-2.0568 KVA) with 6 mph winds at 8 degrees
- Dec. 20: 3-of-3 FG and 1-of-1 XP (2.0223 KVA) with 6 mph winds at 37 degrees
- Jan. 10: 3-of-3 FG and 2-of-2 XP (1.1826 KVA) with 6 mph winds at 32 degrees
- Jan. 18: 1-of-1 FG and 2-of-2 XP (0.7866 KVA) with 6 mph winds at 19 degrees
In the five sub-40-degree games, Santos earned 2.0616 KVA. Anything over the breakeven point should be considered a Herculean feat in those conditions, which has to help the Chicago Bears feel so much more confident in their kicker than his spot in the rankings might indicate. Santos is entering a contract year in 2027, but the 34-year-old would have to submit quite the disastrous campaign to shake the Windy City’s faith in him.
14. Matt Prater, Buffalo Bills
KVA: 3.7485
Kicking Line: 23-of-25 on FGs; 52-of-55 on XPAs
Age: 41
Previous Three Years: 7.3041 KVA in 2022 (No. 9) → 5.0562 KVA in 2023 (No. 14) → 4.3783 KVA in 2024 (No. 18)
Due to the torn meniscus he suffered in 2024 and the fact he only received an opportunity with the Buffalo Bills after Tyler Bass landed on injured reserve with hip and groin injuries, Matt Prater didn’t exactly enter 2025 with lofty expectations. Whoops.
The 41-year-old proved any and all doubters wrong by continuing his excellent career, albeit with far less range than he’d demonstrated with a younger right leg. The 50-yarder he hit to force overtime in an eventual Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos stood out as his season highlight, but accuracy was the real name of the game. He only missed from 39 and 52 yards, taking advantage of a boom-or-bust Buffalo offense to connect on 52 extra points and 23 field goals.
As a result — and somewhat astoundingly after posting -10.857 KVA through his first two seasons — Prater has continued his climb toward the top 20 in the career hierarchy. He’s still never posted a top-100 season, but with 84.2008 KVA, he’s just one slot removed from that illustrious tier.
Someone give him a chance as a 42-year-old!
13. Zane Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
KVA: 4.1579
Kicking Line: 19-of-22 on FGs; 17-of-18 on XPAs
Age: 30
Previous Three Years: didn’t play since 2021 → 2.174 KVA in 2024 (No. 22)
Zane Gonzalez had a 37-yard attempt blocked and returned for a touchdown by Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams, who burst through the line nearly untouched. A 50-yarder was swallowed up by Nick Emmanwori after the Seattle Seahawks safety’s lightning-fast rush off the edge. As if that wasn’t enough, legendary kick-blocker Calais Campbell stuffed an extra-point attempt after showing off an impressive spin move.
Somehow, three of Gonzalez’s five misses on the season hit a defender, and it’s tough to pin the blame on him for any of them. Had those swung in the opposite direction, he’d have posted a top-five season with 11.1441 KVA.
Instead, the midseason addition to the Atlanta Falcons roster sits a bit outside the top 10, though he at least closed his year strong with his second Player of the Week honor after hitting from 38, 38, 40, and 51 yards in a 19-17 Week 18 win over the rival New Orleans Saints.
It’s also worth noting that Gonzalez led the NFL in average make distance (44.95 yards) by over a full yard. Charlie Smyth (43.83) and Lucas Havrisik (43.5) joined him on the podium but combined for fewer makes than the Arizona State product had by himself.
12. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers
KVA: 4.3184
Kicking Line: 29-of-34 on FGs; 42-of-43 on XPAs
Age: 34
Previous Three Years: -3.5757 KVA in 2022 (No. 40) → 9.0072 KVA in 2023 (No. 7) → 20.0967 KVA in 2024 (No. 1)
Consider Chris Boswell another victim of blocks outside his control. Not only did he have a 30-yarder rejected after Pat Freiermuth completely whiffed and let Isaiah Rodgers teleport his way into the kick’s path, but his lone extra-point misfire featured a statistical correction to account for Keondre Jackson barely getting a fingernail on it.
Nevertheless, Boswell held his own rather nicely one season after leading the league in KVA and posting the No. 27 mark in NFL history. And he’d have looked even better had it not been for that Jackson block in a narrow Week 18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens and a miss apiece in the two preceding games — 54 yards against the Cleveland Browns and 37 yards against the Detroit Lions.
Boswell did fall off the incredible annual pace he’d set for himself during his first decade of professional football (2018 notwithstanding), but he did enough to complete his climb into the top 25 on the career leaderboard.
11. Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals
KVA: 4.9632
Kicking Line: 25-of-28 on FGs; 41-of-44 on XPAs
Age: 26
Previous Three Years: 0.1872 KVA in 2022 (No. 30) → 5.4304 KVA in 2023 (No. 12) → -3.739 KVA in 2024 (No. 39)
Evan McPherson enjoyed a helluva stretch when he made a franchise-record 63-yarder against the New England Patriots on Nov. 23 and then connected on six field goals in a road victory over the Baltimore Ravens four days later. The problem was that the rest of his 2025 campaign was thoroughly mediocre.
McPherson earned 4.4532 KVA during those two performances. The rest of the year, he tallied just 0.51 KVA, driven down by the Cincinnati Bengals' inability to generate multiple field-goal attempts for him in 10 outings and a performance against the Green Bay Packers in which he misfired from both 67 and 56 yards.
That first miss was especially painful because he successfully converted what would've been the new longest field goal in NFL history (Cam Little hadn't Cam Littled yet), but the football left his foot, bounced off the crossbar, and split the uprights shortly after Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur called a timeout. The subsequent attempt, which, unfortunately for McPherson, actually counted, barely made it halfway through the endzone.
10. Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars
KVA: 5.7737
Kicking Line: 31-of-36 on FGs; 53-of-54 on XPAs
Age: 22
Previous Three Years: 10.7711 KVA as a rookie in 2024 (No. 8)
Cam Little’s 2025 efforts were more showy than anything else, but what a spectacle he provided.
First, Little lined up for a 68-yard attempt in the waning moments of a first-half battle with the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only did he boot the ball through the uprights to set the new NFL record, but it also sailed over the crossbar with so much room to spare that it clearly would’ve been good from 70-plus yards.
Considering that record came within the domed confines of Allegiant Stadium, his 67-yarder against the Tennessee Titans may actually have been more impressive. EverBank Stadium is usually friendly to kickers, but 55 degree weather isn't exactly the dictionary definition of pristine conditions. The colder, still-humid air didn't bother Little in the slightest, though, as he booted the pigskin and watched as it drew slightly to stay on target, again clearing the crossbar with plenty of room to spare.
But aside from those two historic efforts, for which he deserves endless showers of praise, Little’s average made field came from just 39.9 yards, and he missed from 47, 47, 50, 50, and 54 yards. That resulted in a solid sophomore season, but not one that leaves him within striking distance of the league leaders.
9. Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys
KVA: 6.6509
Kicking Line: 36-of-42 on FGs; 47-of-48 on XPAs
Age: 26
Previous Three Years: 9.222 KVA as a rookie in 2023 (No. 5) → 17.5991 KVA in 2024 (No. 2)
Brandon Aubrey closed his 2025 efforts with four misses in his last 10 attempts — and two of his last three — to spoil what originally looked like yet another top-tier campaign. If his year had magically ended midway through the Dallas Cowboys’ Dec. 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he’d have piled up double-digit KVA and continued his inexorable march toward the top of the all-time standings.
Alas, Aubrey did fail to score on those attempts, driving down his score and standing to the worst marks he’s posted in recent memory. And even still, he’s in a rather favorable position due to his consistent excellence through three seasons in the professional ranks. His average of 11.157 KVA per season leaves him behind only Justin Tucker (11.515) throughout all of NFL history, though the No. 5 finisher in 2025 is knocking on the door (10.365).
Dallas should be doing everything in its power to secure Aubrey’s services in perpetuity, and ESPN's Todd Archer has already speculated that he'll either receive a second-round tender (just above $6 million) or an extension that would make him the league's highest-paid kicker. His agent should be able to negotiate from a position of power considering the 26-year-old did the following:
- Made three more kicks from beyond 60 yards (61, 63, and 64).
- Became the first player to make a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and follow it with a game-winner at the end of the overtime period.
- Submitted the No. 4 game of the 2025 season (3.3867 KVA) when he made four extra points and hit from 44, 46, 51, and 64 against the New York Giants on Sept. 14 (the same game referenced in the previous bullet).
- Submitted the No. 1 game of the 2025 season (3.7413 KVA) when he hit from 29, 42, 55, 57, and 63 against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 4.
8. Harrison Mevis, Los Angeles Rams
KVA: 7.2249
Kicking Line: 18-of-19 on FGs; 48-of-48 on XPAs
Age: 23
Previous Three Years: Rookie in 2025
After going undrafted in 2024, Harrison Mevis signed with the Carolina Panthers, who waived him during preseason action. He spent the following season with the UFL's Birmingham Stallions and had a chance to make the New York Jets' 2025 roster before the organization waived him as part of its final roster cuts. The Los Angeles Rams have to be thrilled about that sequence of events because they signed him to their practice squad in November and allowed him to make his NFL debut just a few days later.
All he’s done since is make kicks, including an overtime 42-yarder that snuck in past the left upright to send the Rams to the NFC Championship Game.
Mevis drilled each of his 48 extra-point attempts and converted 18 of his 19 field-goal attempts, the lone miss coming on a 48-yarder that drifted just outside right while the Rams were tied 30-30 with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter of an eventual overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That one surely stung, but Mevis bounced back and didn’t let the misfire shake his confidence.
Granted, the Rams didn’t display much confidence in his ability to connect from closer to midfield. He made just three kicks from outside 45 yards (52, 46, and, in the NFC Conference Championship Game, 50), though his pinpoint accuracy and unwavering ability after their myriad touchdowns more than helped make up for that limitation. And hey, he did make a 61-yarder for Missouri back in 2023, so perhaps those deeper kicks will just come with time.
7. Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks
KVA: 7.2897
Kicking Line: 49-of-56 on FGs; 59-of-59 on XPAs
Age: 34
Previous Three Years: 10.0626 KVA in 2022 (No. 6) → 0.8676 KVA in 2023 (No. 21) → 10.2279 KVA in 2024 (No. 9)
A Super Bowl in which Jason Myers drilled five field goals from an average length of 36 yards didn't change the narrative so much as give the 34-year-old more widespread recognition for his latest stellar season. He made history for reasons beyond becoming the first kicker with five makes in the calendar's final contest.
With his final three-pointer in the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the New England Patriots, Myers (49) moved past 2011 David Akers and this year's version of Ka'imi Fairbairn (48) for the most single-season field goals. Moreover, he surpassed 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson (186) for the most points scored in a single season, finishing with 206.
Myers successfully shouldered a heavy workload for the Super Bowl champions, but a few holes in the resume keep him from competing with the top tier of kickers.
First, he was no stranger to missing kicks. Misfiring seven times creates a significant amount of negative value, and he can't point to Denico Autry's block of a 53-yarder that came off his foot as a worm-burner as an example of bad luck. Second, though his average make distance (39.35 yards) was marginally better than the league average (39.09 yards), it trailed all but one of the kickers yet to appear.
Chalk it up as yet another strong season-long showing from the veteran, but don't let the record-setting volume convince you this was even his best campaign. Myers posted more KVA in 2022 (10.0626), 2024 (10.2279), 2018 (12.8733), and 2020 (20.2117, which falls just shy of a top-20 mark in NFL history). Based on that even-year trend, we can only imagine what he has in store for the encore.
6. Riley Patterson, Miami Dolphins
KVA: 7.679
Kicking Line: 27-of-29 on FGs; 34-of-35 on XPAs
Age: 26
Previous Three Years: 4.4952 KVA in 2022 (No. 15) → -0.9336 KVA in 2023 (No. 28) → -2.9944 KVA in 2024 (No. 37)
Where did this come from? Riley Patterson was somehow rostered by the Cleveland Browns (twice), Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons during the 2024 calendar year, bouncing between practice squads and making just four of his seven field-goal attempts. His 2025 efforts, beginning when he was elevated by the Miami Dolphins to replace an injured Jason Sanders, were far steadier and saw him appear in all 17 regular-season games.
However, Patterson continued to add value through his accuracy rather than the strength of his right leg. He topped out at 54 yards — a new career high — though the Dolphins did at least let him take an ill-fated, wide-right attempt from three yards farther back against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 12. Our reliable range calculations indicate that teams should have trouble trusting Patterson from anything beyond 49 yards even though he’s proved he’s good for the occasional long-range boot.
5. Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers
KVA: 9.0215
Kicking Line: 39-of-42 on FGs; 34-of-35 on XPAs
Age: 25
Previous Three Years: 5.3437 KVA in 2022 (No. 13) → 12.72 KVA in 2023 (No. 2) → 14.3728 KVA in 2024 (No. 3)
Even at just 25 years old, Cameron Dicker keeps asserting himself as one of the best kickers in NFL history. He’s already ascended to a top-60 mark on the career leaderboard, and his per-season average of 10.365 KVA leaves him behind only Brandon Aubrey (11.157) and Justin Tucker (11.515).
Thus far, Dicker doesn’t seem to have a weakness. He's the all-time leader in field-goal percentage among qualified kickers, he almost never misses point-after tries, and the Los Angeles Chargers aren't shy about trotting him out from near midfield. His average make in 2025 (38.1 yards) came from closer to the red zone than we’ve seen in the past, but he still booted the ball through the uprights from 50-plus yards five times this year, including a 59-yarder that tied his career high.
Really, the only knock against Dicker in 2025 was his inexplicably awful Dec. 27 performance against the Houston Texans. He missed both an extra point and a 32-yarder in a four-point loss, giving him both the worst game and worst single kick of his illustrious but young career.
Even with those misses in the books, Dicker has submitted three consecutive top-five seasons, and the best is likely yet to come. The Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles have to feel sick that they let him walk before the Chargers added him to their own practice squad and elevated him to replace an injured Dustin Hopkins in November 2022.
4. Eddy Pineiro, San Francisco 49ers
KVA: 10.4383
Kicking Line: 31-of-32 on FGs; 36-of-41 on XPAs
Age: 30
Previous Three Years: 11.9537 KVA in 2022 (No. 4) → 1.3096 KVA in 2023 (No. 19) → -0.6208 KVA in 2024 (No. 32)
If only Eddy Pineiro didn’t have to kick extra points…
Although two of his five misses featured a block by the opposition (Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 9 and Kitan Crawford of the Arizona Cardinals one week later), that’s still an inexcusable three additional PAT misfires in a single season. For perspective, the league as a whole, including both the regular season and playoffs, missed just 56 extra points. But this is the No. 4 kicker we’re talking about here. Let’s flip that tone from pessimistic to optimistic. The glass should be half full!
Pineiro posted -3.2657 KVA on extra points (better than only Michael Badgley's -3.9425), but he was nearly peerless when aiming for three points. Only our No. 1 finisher exceeded his KVA on field-goal attempts as the runner-up in career field-goal percentage stroked one kick after another through the uprights.
His lone miss came on a 64-yard prayer that ricocheted backward off the dead center of the crossbar just before the halftime whistle in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, and that would’ve been five yards longer than the blast he hit in Week 5 to set a new career best. Otherwise, he converted one mid-range attempt after another and was mere inches — maybe even millimeters — from complete field-goal perfection.
3. Nick Folk, New York Jets
KVA: 11.7096
Kicking Line: 28-of-29 on FGs; 22-of-22 on XPAs
Age: 41
Previous Three Years: 3.3914 KVA in 2022 (No. 19) → 9.1106 KVA in 2023 (No. 6) → 12.1692 KVA in 2024 (No. 5)
Something clicked for Nick Folk in 2020.
During the first 12 seasons of the kicker’s career, he posted a meager 3.7468 KVA. But since the beginning of the 2020 season, he’s up to a whopping 58.0076 KVA and has skyrocketed up the lifelong leaderboard. For a bit of perspective: That’s an average of 9.668 KVA, which would be the No. 4 mark in league history if sustained over a full NFL tenure.
The 2025 campaign brought about more of the same excellence for the long-in-the-tooth veteran. His only miss of the year came on a 55-yard attempt, but he still proved how much power he’d retained in his right leg by drilling a 56-yard game-winner against the Atlanta Falcons and a career-best 58-yarder at the expense of the Miami Dolphins.
Over the past two years, he’s been kicking more effectively than ever, to the point that Jets fans should hope the 41-year-old decides against hanging up his cleats. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini in mid-December, Folk “will talk it over with his family before deciding whether to continue his career.”
Should he decide to return for (at least) one more season, Folk, currently 31st, will have a great chance to rise into the top 30 of the career rankings.
2. Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings
KVA: 13.5633
Kicking Line: 33-of-35 on FGs; 31-of-31 on XPAs
Age: 25
Previous Three Years: 4.2736 KVA as a rookie in 2024 (No. 19)
Shockingly not a Pro Bowler, Will Reichard was a deserving All-Pro nonetheless after putting together a magnificent sophomore season.
He still has yet to misfire on a single extra point in his career (69-of-69) and, during the 2025 season, only missed on his three-point tries when he was lining up pretty far from the uprights (51 and 53 yards). Talk about shoring up the few cracks in his profile that existed after he posted 4.7236 KVA as a somewhat-erratic rookie out of Alabama.
Reichard didn’t exactly shoulder an easy workload for the Vikings this year. He drilled 11 kicks from at least 50 yards, including three 59-yarders and a 62-yard bomb against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 21 that curled just inside the right upright but cleared the crossbar with room to spare.
Controversially, Reichard may have added a 12th make from 50-plus had it not been for a camera wire that may have subtly altered the path of his 51-yard attempt during a Week 5 game in London. The NFL officially ruled that the Skycam cable did not affect the kick, but good luck finding a Vikings fan who feels similarly. For the record, he’d have finished the year at 16.5633 KVA and taken over the top spot in the rankings had the result been different.
1. Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans
KVA:15.4259
Kicking Line: 48-of-51 on FGs; 32-of-33 on XPAs
Age: 31
Previous Three Years: 12.2469 KVA in 2022 (No. 3) → 6.7464 KVA in 2023 (No. 11) → 5.314 KVA in 2024 (No. 14)
Ka’imi Fairbairn missed just four times throughout his entire campaign for the Houston Texans — once on an extra-point attempt, twice on 51- and 54-yarders that failed to find their targets, and once when Leo Chenal sped off the edge to block a 52-yarder against the Kansas City Chiefs. Considering the remarkable amount of time the 31-year-old spent on the field, that’s an awful lot of accuracy and ability on display.
Jason Myers (49) was the lone kicker to make more field goals than Fairbairn (48), but no one else was even within striking distance. Next up? Cameron Dicker at 39.
Then again, that shouldn’t come as a surprise when the Houston standout quite literally claimed an all-time record before Myers took a solo lead in the Super Bowl. He had tied the record for most field goals made in a regular season (44), matching the feat first submitted by David Akers for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. Then he matched the four made field goals Akers posted in the 2011 postseason, as well.
But here’s the, well, kicker: Akers needed a combined 56 attempts to get to 48. Myers also took 56. Fairbairn “only” needed 51 to match the high-water mark and claim 2025’s pole position, buoyed by both his remarkable accuracy on such extreme volume and a stellar 10 makes from at least 50 yards.