Kickers always seem to make a big difference in the game, but they aren't usually highly valued on the free agent market. Some notable placekickers have hit the market this year, including some of the most automated placekickers in recent years.
We surveyed a group of writers across SB Nation to gather a consensus ranking of available players.
Players who re-sign with their current team will be removed from the list until free agency begins in March.
7. Riley Patterson, Cleveland Browns
Patterson spent time on three different rosters in 2024 and struggled to complete just 57% of his kicks.
6. Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers
The soon-to-be 34-year-old kicker, who signed a veteran minimum contract in 2024, has a strong year in 2024, hitting over 95% of his field goal attempts and making all 30 of his extra points, both well above his career averages. Ta. . He shot 81% in 2023 and 78% in 2022. He signed with Green Bay midway through the season and joined the team in mid-October. McManus was accused of sexual assault by two flight attendants on a Jaguars team flight from Jacksonville to London in May 2024. The league says there wasn't enough evidence to seek a suspension, and both sides of the lawsuit say the issue was resolved before he signed with the Packers.
5. Michael Badgley, Detroit Lions
Badgley suffered a torn hamstring in July and will miss the 2024 season. He appeared in just four games in 2023 as a practice squad call-up before re-signing to Detroit's practice squad after spending part of the 2023 offseason with the Lions, Commanders and Titans. He was on a minimum veterinary contract.
4. Eddie Pinheiro, Carolina Panthers
In fact, Pinheiro received two first-place votes from outside the panel, but was ranked 6th or lower on the other two votes. He finished his three-year stint as the Panthers' kicker, shooting just under 90 percent from the field and 92 percent on extra points. He just signed a two-year, $4.1 million contract.
3. Joey Sly, New England Patriots
Sly signed with New England in May after being cut by the Jaguars after Jacksonville signed him in March. In 2021, he moved between three teams and spent two seasons in Washington. He shot less than 80 percent from the field the past two seasons. He played on the veteran minimum in 2024.
2. Matt Prater, Arizona Cardinals
Barely the oldest player on the list, Prater will turn 41 just before the 2025 season. He tore the meniscus in the groin in Week 5 and missed most of the 2024 season. He went 16-of-16 from the field and added a point, converting at 85% in 2023 due to injury, but he played in league play. A two-year contract worth $7.5 million.
1. Nick Folk, Tennessee Titans
The 17-year veteran has been almost automatic the past two seasons, making 96.7 percent and 95.5 percent of his field goals while playing for the Titans. But he had just turned 40, and Tennessee was reluctant to take him out to make deep kicks, in part because of his age. (He is several months younger than Prater.) He played on a one-year contract worth $3.755 million in 2024.
