NFL kickers are either beloved or reviled depending on how well they perform in clutch situations.
It is a daunting task that requires nerves of steel.
Here are the five best to ever do it in alphabetical order.
1. Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen enjoyed a 25-year NFL career (1982-2007) most notably with the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.
He scored 2,544 career points and only missed 10 extra points in his 382 career games.
Andersen had an 80% completion rate on field goals and is a Hall of Famer.
2. Phil Dawson
Fans outside of Cleveland may be surprised that Phil Dawson is on this list, but believe me, he deserves to be here.
Dawson had a 20-year NFL career (1999-2018), and 14 of those seasons were with the Browns who were not a particularly good team during his tenure with them.
He missed 13 extra points in his career and had an 84% field goal completion percentage.
Dawson holds Browns records for the most consecutive field goals made (29) and the most field goals made in one game (6).
3. Jason Elam
Jason Elam was a solid performer for those back-to-back Denver Broncos Super Bowl Championship teams (Super Bowls 32 and 33).
His career spanned 17 seasons from 1993 to 2009.
He had an 81% completion percentage on field goals, and his career-longest field goal was 63 yards.
4. Ray Guy
Ray Guy was a punter, but punters are kickers too.
Guy was a trailblazer at his position.
He was the first punter drafted in the first round by the Oakland Raiders with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft.
Guy enjoyed a 14-year career and was a three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Raiders; he was notorious for booting high and long punts that kept Raiders’ opponents from gaining good field position.
He is the only punter to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and at his induction, he noted this fact by saying the “NFL Hall of Fame is now a complete team.”
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5. Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri was a four-time Super Bowl Champion during his 24-year career from 1996-2019.
He played for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
No matter what the conditions were in New England, Vinatieri could be counted on to make successful kicks.
He retired with an 84% field goal completion percentage having scored 2,673 points.
Conclusion
There is a new generation of kickers that could make this list once their playing days are over.
Most notable among them is Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens who at 33 years old has been rock solid since joining the Ravens in 2012.
He has a 90.5% career completion percentage for field goals and has a career-long field goal of 66 yards.
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