FOX Sports Research
Being a kicker in the NFL is a tough job.
When kicks are made, they are beloved and celebrated by fans for their ability to ensure points — but when kicks are missed, very few positions experience the vitriol kickers do from both critics and fan-bases alike.
There have been several place kickers throughout the history of the league who have earned Super Bowl titles or even served as integral parts of a franchise’s core.
But this made us think, who are the greatest kickers in NFL history?
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Using a combination of statistics and accomplishments, FOX Sports Research broke down the top 10 kickers of all-time. Let’s take a look:
1. Adam Vinatieri
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points in the regular season and 238 points in the playoffs, no kicker was more clutch throughout their career than Vinatieri was. He is one of three kickers to have seven or more field goals made in the Super Bowl, and most famously hit an incredible kick for the Patriots in a blizzard in Foxboro to beat the Raiders in the “Tuck Rule” game.
Vinatieri is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a three-time First Team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
2. Morten Andersen
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer before Vinatieri passed him, Morten Andersen’s longevity throughout his career is unparalleled. “The Great Dane” played a whopping 25 seasons and in three different decades, making six All-Pro teams and earning seven Pro Bowl selections. He was the second kicker ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been inducted as part of the class of 2017.
3. Justin Tucker
The only active player on this list, Justin Tucker might be the greatest long-distance field goal kicker in NFL history. He holds the league record for the longest made field goal at 66 yards, and his 63 field goals from 50-plus yards is the second-most of any kicker since 1991. As of Week 16 in the 2024 season, he has an 89.1% success rate on his kicks — which is the highest in NFL history. Tucker is an eight-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion as well.
4. Lou Groza
Lou Groza’s place on this list is heavily based on stats, but more so revolves around the fact that he revolutionized the game. He was kicking long-distance field goals before it was the norm back in the 1950s, and also played offensive tackle. Groza played 21 seasons with the Browns and was named to six All-Pro teams and also earned nine Pro Bowl nods. In 1957, he led the league in scoring and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
5. Stephen Gostowski
A three-time Super Bowl champion with New England, as well as a three-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler — Stephen Gostowski led the NFL in scoring a whopping five times. He is one of three kickers all-time to have recorded seven or more field goals in the Super Bowl, joining Vinatieri and Harrison Butker. Gostowski was also the first kicker since the 1970 merger to lead the league in scoring for more than two consecutive seasons, doing so four straight years from 2012 to 2015.
6. George Blanda
Another game-changer like Groza, George Blanda was a quarterback who also served as a prolific kicker. Blanda’s 940 extra points made are the most in NFL history, as he played a staggering 26 seasons of professional football between the AFL and NFL from 1949 to 1975. He is still one of just seven players ever to have over 2,000 points scored, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
7. Jan Stenerud
The first true kicker to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame (as Groza and Blanda each played other positions as well), Stenerud’s résumé is a lengthy one — having won the Super Bowl, the AFL championship, been named to six All-Pro teams, four Pro Bowl selections, and inducted into both the Chiefs and Packers Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement in 1985, only George Blanda had more points than his 1,699.
8. Gary Anderson
Having spent the bulk of his 23-year career with the Steelers, Gary Anderson is the greatest kicker in Pittsburgh’s history. His 2,434 points and 538 made field goals both rank third all-time, and he hit 820 of his 827 extra-point attempts — good for a 99.2% conversion rate. The Steelers retired his No. 1 jersey, and named him to their all-time team in celebration of their 75th season in 2007. Anderson made three All-Pro teams and earned four Pro Bowl selections.
9. Jason Elam
Jason Elam is one of 11 kickers ever to hit a field goal from 63-plus yards, and one of just two to do so prior to 2000. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos, and also earned three All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowl nods. Elam’s 1,983 points ranks eighth all-time and his 436 made field goals cracks the top 10.
10. Jason Hanson
A Lions legend, Jason Hanson spent 21 seasons in Detroit and played in 327 games from 1992 to 2012. He ranks fourth all-time in points (2,150) and field goals made (495), and is still the only kicker ever to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America group.
Honorable Mention:
- Matt Stover
- Matt Prater
- Robbie Gould
- Mark Moseley
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