NFL Player News
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Cameron Dicker K | LAC
Chargers' Cameron Dicker: Staying in Los Angeles
Dicker will remain in Los Angeles after the Chargers picked up his exclusive rights free-agent tender Tuesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Dicker finished last season converting 21 of his 22 field-goal tries and all 24 of his extra-point attempts. After leading the NFL in field goal percentage in his rookie season, the 22-year-old certainly did enough to give the Chargers confidence in handing over the starting job to him for the 2023 campaign. Assuming the offense can take a step forward next season under new coordinator Kellen Moore, Dicker should be a solid fantasy option.
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Matt Prater K | BUF
Cardinals' Matt Prater: Back with Arizona on two-year deal
Prater agreed Tuesday with the Cardinals on a two-year contract, Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic reports.
The 2023 campaign will be Prater's age-39 season. He missed four games to injury last year but otherwise hadn't missed a contest since 2014 with the Lions. Prater made 22 of 25 field-goal attempts and 17 of 18 extra-point tries last season. He still has one of the stronger legs in the sport.
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Matt Gay K | SF
Colts' Matt Gay: Agrees to record-setting deal
Gay agreed to a four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Colts on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
After signing the biggest free-agent deal for a kicker in NFL history, it's safe to assume Gay will kick for the Colts in 2023 without facing a challenge in training camp. Meanwhile, the Rams will have to find a new kicker after Gay converted 74 of 80 field-goal attempts for them over the previous three seasons.
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Greg Zuerlein K | NYJ
Jets' Greg Zuerlein: Remains in New York
Zuerlein has re-signed with the Jets, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.
Zuerlein has converted between 81 and 83 percent of his field-goal attempts over the last three years, which isn't elite, though it is acceptable. Although he attempted just 29 field goals last year, if the Jets are able to upgrade at quarterback, his fantasy value could be on the rise.
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Wil Lutz K | DEN
Saints' Wil Lutz: Takes pay cut
Lutz restructured his contract with the Saints on Saturday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Networkreports.
The veteran kicker actually took a bit of a pay cut, as he'll have a chance to earn back only half of the $1.5 million via incentives this season. Perhaps more importantly, this moves essentially assures the 28-year-old will at least be on the team entering the 2023 season after finishing this season 23-of-31 on field-goal tries, including 8-of-14 from attempts from 40-plus yards out. Lutz missed the entire 2021 season with an abdomen injury that resulted in core-muscle surgery.
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Graham Gano K | NYG
Giants' Graham Gano: Efficient in 13th NFL season
During the regular season, Gano converted 29 of 32 field-goal attempts and 32 of 34 extra-point tries. He made his lone field-goal try and all five of his extra-point attempts over two postseason games.
Gano was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate on the strength of his accurate kicking during the campaign. Among other things, he went 8-for-9 on field-goal attempts from beyond 50 yards, finishing with his most makes from that distance in his 13 seasons as a pro. Gano struggled at times with his accuracy early in his career, but he's since become one of the league's most reliable kickers, making 132 of 143 (92.3 percent) of his field-goal tries over the past five campaigns. Gano has one year remaining on his current contract and figures to be the Giants' primary placekicker again next season.
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Brett Maher K | LAR
Cowboys' Brett Maher: Likely done in Dallas
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that the team will be "starting over" at kicker, implying that Maher is unlikely to be retained heading into the 2023 season, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Maher is already headed for free agency with his contract set to expire at the start of the new league year, and Dallas apparently won't be looking to re-sign the 33-year-old. After bouncing around several organizations for much of his career, Maher appeared to find a home in Dallas in 2022. He was one of the NFL's top kickers during the regular season, converting 29 of his 32 field-goal attempts and totaling 137 points, tied for third in the NFL. However, his regular season performance was overshadowed by missing six of his final seven extra-point attempts over a three-game stretch between Week 18 against Washington and the Cowboys' two playoff games. Maher likely won't struggle to get an opportunity to compete for a kicking job during training camp and the preseason, but a team may be reluctant to hand him the gig outright heading into 2023.
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Brett Maher K | LAR
Cowboys' Brett Maher: Big year marred by playoff gaffes
Maher connected on 29 of 32 field-goal attempts, including nine of 11 from 50 yards or longer, and 50 of 53 extra-point attempts across 17 regular-season games in 2022.
His impressive performance during the regular season, which saw Maher finish tied for third in the NFL with 137 points, was the good news. The bad? His dreadful postseason numbers, as he missed five of six PATs in two playoff games. The kicker is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the rough ending to his campaign could put his future with the Cowboys in doubt. With special-teams coach John Fassel expected to return to Dallas in 2023, however, Maher likely will get a chance to prove his postseason woes were just an aberration.
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Matthew Wright K | HOU
Matthew Wright: Cut from practice squad
The Chiefs cut Wright from their practice squad Monday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
When Harrison Butker was dealing with back spasms during the regular season, Wright made two appearances for the Chiefs, connecting on 3-of-4 field-goal attempts and all eight of his extra-point tries. However, Wright hasn't played in a game since Week 13 and will lose his spot on the practice squad ahead of the Super Bowl. In a corresponding move, Kansas City re-signed Jerrion Ealy to its practice squad.
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Riley Patterson K | MIA
Jaguars' Riley Patterson: Solid season for Jacksonville
Patterson went 30-for-35 on field-goal attempts and 36-for-37 on PATs during the 2022 regular season.
The 23-year-old was also perfect across the Jaguars' two playoff games, making three field goals and four extra points. Patterson debuted with seven appearances for Detroit in 2021, and he was solid as Jacksonville's kicker this season, going 18-for-19 on kicks inside 40 yards. James McCourt inked a reserve/future contract to provide some competition, but Patterson is an exclusive rights free agent in 2023, and there's a decent chance the team wants him back.