10 Best NFL Free Agent Kickers in 2023

Special teams remains one of the most underrated parts of the NFL. A reliable kicker can turn a good team into a great team, while an unreliable kicker can singlehandedly lose games for their squad. There's not many other positions that have that impact on a week-to-week basis during the season.

Front offices have become aware and have started to pay up for the top talent on special teams, both in free agency and the NFL Draft. Whether your team is looking for the next breakout star or a temporary option, here's a look at the 10 best free agent kickers available in the 2023 NFL offseason.

10 Best Free Agent Kickers 2023

1. Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams

Matt Gay has everything a front office should be looking for in a free agent kicker. He owns a career 87.8% field goal percentage, has experience kicking in high pressure playoff games and is only 28 years old. In 2022, Gay nailed 28 of his 30 field goals and both of those misses came from beyond 50 yards. That's about as dependable as it gets.

2. Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys

It's going to take some time for Brett Maher to get rid of the narrative that he falters under the bright lights. Of course, he notably missed four straight extra point attempts in the Cowboys' Wild Car Round win. The stats back Maher up as a solid free agent option, though. He made 29 of his 32 field goals and 50 of his 53 extra points during the regular season.

3. Matt Prater, Arizona Cardinals

Kicker is one position where age doesn't have too much of an impact as long as the player is still making kicks. Matt Prater enters the 2023 offseason at 38 years of age, but is coming off a solid campaign. He made 88.0% of his field goals (22-of-25), which was his best mark since 2015. That included 5 makes from 50 or more yards.

4. Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers

It would be surprising to see Robbie Gould kicking anywhere other than San Francisco in 2023. The veteran has spent the last six seasons with the 49ers, sinking 161 of his 184 field goals (87.5%). He made a field goal of over 50 yards in five of those six seasons, too. Gould will earn a short-term deal in one way or another.

5. Eddy Pineiro, Carolina Panthers

Signing Eddy Pineiro would be all about upside. The 27-year-old was not a household name prior to the 2022 season, but he went on to make 33 of his 35 field goals (94.3%) and 30 of his 32 extra points (93.8%). He was Carolina's kicker for every single game and proved he has the leg to stick around in the NFL.

6. Chase McLaughlin, Indianapolis Colts

Chase McLaughlin has only been in the NFL since 2019, yet he has already kicked for six different teams at some point. The journeyman spent the 2022 season with the Colts and made 30 of his 36 field goals (83.3%). While his reliability from long range could use some work, McLaughlin has made 88 of his 90 career extra points. That is not an easy feat.

7. Riley Patterson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Riley Patterson made a name for himself when he kicked the game-winning field goal for the Jacksonville Jaguars in a thrilling AFC Wild Card victory. The Memphis product made 30 of his 35 field goals (85.7%) and 36 of his 37 extra points (97.3%) this past season despite playing on an offense that regularly went for it on fourth down. The best is yet to come for Patterson.

8. Greg Zuerlein, New York Jets

The risk grows with each kicker that passes by on this list. Greg Zuerlein's best days are behind him and the reputation he has developed as "Greg the Leg" needs to be turned down a notch. This is still a player that made 24 of his 26 field goals from under 50 yards in 2022 and owns a career field goal percentage of 82.1%, though. He'll find a one-year deal somewhere.

9. Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings

Greg Joseph embodies what the ups and downs of being a kicker truly are. He has had a love-hate relationship with Vikings fans over the last two seasons. The hate was more prominent given he made only 11 of his 19 field goal attempts from 50 or more yards and 76 of his 86 extra points with Minnesota. He'll likely land a cheap deal on a rebuilding squad.

10. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Much like Zuerlein, Mason Crosby is not the kicker that he used to be. The Packers regularly went for it on fourth downs around the cusp of field goal range because Crosby's long-range reliability is out the window. He has only made 9 field goals from 50 or more yards in the last four seasons. All signs point to either Green Bay or retirement for Crosby.

The Duel also ranked the 10 best NFL free agents for each position group:
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Quarterbacks in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Running Backs in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Wide Receivers in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Tight Ends in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Offensive Linemen in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Defensive Linemen in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Edge Rushers in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Linebackers in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Safeties in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Punters in 2023
-10 Best NFL Free Agent Kickers in 2023

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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