Which Teams Need A Kicker & Who’s Still On The Market?

NFL teams treat the kicker position differently than any other spot on the roster. There’s no question it’s important — if you’ve ever rooted for a team with a bad kicker, you understand the weekly angst it generates. Kickers will lead most teams in scoring and can win and lose games. 

But it’s a binary position. You either have a kicker or you don’t if you’re a team, and it’s rare to see a squad keep a backup into the regular season except occasionally on the practice squad. Kickers also have a far shorter leash than other positions, and an accuracy drought will result in a pink slip for all but a few established options. 

There are several teams who are set to enter the 2025 season with uncertainty at the kicker position, so in this article we’ll look at the leaguewide landscape at the position, including which teams have kicking questions and what the options are to solve them. 

Basically, if your team might need a kicker, here’s everything you need to know: 

League Landscape

This table shows all 32 teams, the starting kicker and any notable competition the team brought in. Not every kicker is listed, as some of these players are just camp legs to give established starters less of a workload. 

And here’s a look at some of the top free agent kickers still available. 

• Justin Tucker (35 years old, career 89.1 percent on field goals, No. 1 all-time)
• Eddy Pineiro (29, 88.1 percent, No. 3 all-time)
• Nick Folk (40, 84.3 percent, No. 28 all-time)
• Matt Prater (40, 83.6 percent, No. 38 all-time)
• Randy Bullock (35, 83.4 percent, No. 39 all-time)
• Greg Zuerlein (37, 82.2 percent, No. 50 all-time)
• Zane Gonzalez (30, 80 percent, No. 70 all-time)
• Rodrigo Blankenship (28, 83.9 percent, not enough kicks to qualify for all-time leaderboard but is 21 of 22 in the UFL for the St. Louis Battlehawks this spring)

Perhaps you’ve noticed if you’re a regular reader of the website, but the last few weeks we’ve been going through our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list and looking at the best potential landing spots for our top free agents. Tucker is not in our top 100, no specialists are, but he might be one of the most impactful free agents still available considering he’s the most accurate kicker in NFL history. 

The situation with Tucker is complicated, though. After all, there’s a story behind why he’s not kicking for another season in Baltimore where he was one of the most beloved athletes in history for an organization that has seen Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Lamar Jackson suit up in purple. 

Tucker’s tenure concluded due to the intersection of on-field and off-field negatives. After missing a career-high 10 kicks — eight field goals and two extra points — Tucker was hit with a bombshell sexual misconduct report. Sixteen women from eight different businesses have accused him of inappropriate behavior during massage sessions early in his career from 2012 to 2016. While the criminal statute of limitations has expired, Tucker still faces legal proceedings in civil court, as well as potential discipline from the NFL pending its investigation once the court system has run through its process. Tucker has denied all allegations. 

Had just one of those things occurred, there’s a good chance the Ravens would have stuck with Tucker. But having a 35-year-old kicker dealing with both a potential decline in performance and a major off-field scandal is just too much. The fact that Tucker made it until after the draft speaks to how highly regarded he was before all of this. 

Now both sides will turn the page. The Ravens drafted sixth-round K Tyler Loop, and Tucker is free to sign with any team, though the looming possibility of a suspension will cloud his market. Clarity on the timing of his legal situation could help his prospects, either a settlement or knowledge that it won’t wrap up until after the season, thus meaning any possible suspension would be deferred until 2026 at least. 

Last year the Packers signed K Brandon McManus despite the allegations of misconduct against him, so teams have shown they’re willing to look past things to a degree with kickers just like other positions if the need is great enough. Tucker’s situation is more serious but he’s also a far more established player than McManus. 

All of the other guys are available for a reason as well. Pineiro’s leg strength has left the Panthers wanting more at times despite his gaudy accuracy numbers, and interestingly no other team has rushed to bring him in either even though he’s been available since March. Sometimes there are certain players where teams know something behind the scenes that leads to some hesitancy. The Panthers showed no desire to extend Pineiro over the last 18 months and now the rest of the league has shown it’s cool on Pineiro too, for whatever reason. 

Folk, Prater, Bullock and Zuerlein are older and potentially on their last legs. Prater and Zuerlein missed significant time with injuries last year and their former teams (Cardinals and Jets) have moved on to younger options. Blankenship is looking to make a comeback after kicking his way out of the league in 2021 and 2022.

Several names from the list above will also join the free agent pool once the competitions in camp and the preseason resolve, making around 45 players competing for just 32 starting kicking jobs.  

Questionable Kicker Situations

Here are the teams where things remain unstable. I’ve broken them up into two buckets — teams that are actively still looking for a solution at kicker and teams that have some level of concern about the incumbent at the position. 

Carolina Panthers

Need level: High

Rather than re-sign Pineiro after a strong three-year run in which he made 80 of 90 kicks, Carolina made it clear it preferred to wipe the slate clean, adding undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald to compete with Matthew Wright for the starting job. Fitzgerald was regarded as one of the better kickers in the class despite going undrafted and should be the favorite over Wright, who has played for six teams in five years, including two separate stints with two of them. 

But sometimes the answer to which kicker will win the positional battle can be neither. More than any other position, kickers and specialists are competing against players on the waiver wire and teams have little tolerance for mistakes. If neither Fitzgerald nor Wright seize the opportunity, the Panthers will evaluate other options, including Tucker. 

New York Jets

Need level: High

The Jets moved on from Zuerlein after he battled some injury issues last year that limited him to eight games. But honestly, the team might have been ready to move on regardless. Anders Carlson and UDFA Caden Davis are the two kickers on the roster vying to replace him right now. Carlson is the younger brother of Raiders K Daniel Carlson and a former draft pick of the Packers who endured a rocky rookie year in 2023 before being let go coming out of the preseason in 2024. He was steadier in his next opportunities and got a shot with the Jets after Zuerlein’s injury. 

If he falters again, Davis will be waiting. A rookie out of Ole Miss, Davis made 42 of 52 field goals his final two seasons, including four of eight attempts from over 50 yards his final year. If both players don’t inspire confidence, the Jets could look at Tucker. 

New England Patriots

Need level: High

New England was the only other team besides the Ravens to draft a kicker, making Andres Borregales the first off the board in the sixth round. He’ll compete with incumbent John Parker Romo, who impressed in a stint with the Vikings last year by making 11 of 12 field goals, five of six which were over 40 yards. Borregales has a good resume as well, starting the past four years at Miami and compiling an 86 percent accuracy rate (74 of 86 attempts) including seven of 10 from over 50 yards. 

Still, both kickers are young and unproven, which could push the Patriots in the direction of Tucker if there is a learning curve. 

Indianapolis Colts

Need level: High

The Colts felt so strongly about K Spencer Shrader that they released former starting K Matt Gay despite signing him to a record contract just two seasons ago. Shrader appeared in five games as an injury reliever last year for three different teams and didn’t make a field goal in his lone appearance for Indianapolis. However, he went three for three on extra points, nine for nine across all five games and five for five on field goals. None of those kicks were longer than 50 yards but Shrader evidently made a positive impression behind the scenes. He’ll have to fend of UDFA K Maddux Trujillo, who arrives from Temple with a big leg, as well as a plethora of other free agent kickers, including Tucker. 

Tennessee Titans

Need level: High

Joey Slye is the only kicker on the Titans’ roster currently with Folk remaining unsigned. He’s the opposite of Folk in a lot of ways, with a big leg but not nearly the same consistency kick to kick. Teams that deploy Slye have a longer range than other kickers but more volatility. Slye has been under 80 percent on field goals the past two years, and extra points have been a particular pain point. He’s under 90 percent for his career on PATs. 

It’s at least a little interesting that the Titans haven’t signed any competition for Slye, who spent last year with the Patriots. It’s either a sign of confidence or a hint that if they replace him, they want an established, name-brand option. 

Cleveland Browns

Need level: Moderate

Starting Browns K Dustin Hopkins had a career-worst year in 2024, missing nine kicks and turning in an abysmal 66.7 percent make rate. At 34 years old, it’s possible the biggest thing that saved him was the fact Cleveland had already guaranteed his 2025 salary, giving them an incentive to trust Hopkins to snap out of things. He was also dealing with an injury and his history says he should bounce back. However, the Browns won’t tolerate misses forever, guaranteed money or not, and there’s a ton of familiarity with Tucker as a former AFC North rival. 

New York Giants

Need level: Moderate

Veteran K Graham Gano remains in New York but the 38-year-old has begun to show signs of wear and tear. He’s missed 16 games over the past two years and has had to leave early in others, contributing directly to at least one Giants loss. It’s possible his body gives out on him again, and if that happens the Giants might want someone better than Jude McAtamney, the current emergency option on the roster. 

New Orleans Saints

Need level: Moderate

Saints K Blake Grupe ousted longtime incumbent Wil Lutz in 2023 and has pushed through some inconsistencies. He is 57 for 68 on field goals in his career (83.8 percent), 12 of 17 from over 50 yards. He is probably in solid standing but the Saints added Charlie Smyth, an International Player Pathway exemption, to challenge him in camp. They might prefer to add someone like Tucker, however, rather than rely on Smyth as an alternative. 

Atlanta Falcons

Need level: Moderate

Since a disastrous NFL debut in 2017, Falcons K Younghoe Koo has rebounded and developed into one of the league’s top kickers with an 86.1 percent make rate that’s just outside the top ten all-time. Last year was a step back, however, as he dealt with injuries and inconsistency. Koo missed nine field goals and his 73.5 percent accuracy rate was the worst since his rookie year. Atlanta has expressed confidence in Koo but did add international K Lenny Krieg to push Koo. If that doesn’t work, the Falcons could be interested in a more tenured alternative. 

San Francisco 49ers

Need level: Moderate

49ers K Jake Moody struggled last year, missing 10 field goals. For a young kicker, that’s not unusual, but Moody’s draft status as a former third-round pick and the general environment in San Francisco put a larger focus on Moody’s rough play. The 49ers signed veteran K Greg Joseph this offseason in what will likely be a legit competition. Joseph has bounced around a bit but is probably one of the 32 best kickers as things stand today, so the odds are the 49ers will have at least one good kicker between the two. But if neither work out, Tucker looms as an option. 

Buffalo Bills

Need level: Low

Bills K Tyler Bass has largely been good since entering the league in 2020 but there have been some blips the past two seasons with five misses each year. Bass has worked through them and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of heat on his seat. The Bills have expressed confidence in him through words and action, electing not to bring in competition this offseason. If Bass struggles for a prolonged period, however, watch out for Tucker.