Trying to narrow down a list of the NFL’s 10 greatest kickers of all time is not an easy task. Perhaps even more difficult is ranking them. What matters most? Points scored? Success rates? Longevity? It’s a tough call, but I think I cracked the nut.
Kickers, like referees in any sport, are meant to go unnoticed. They jog onto the field, have one job to do, do it, and jog off. That’s it. If they do their jobs, we shrug it off on our way to the refrigerator or concession stand.
It’s only when they pull off the unthinkable, kick a game-winner — or in some cases fail — that we sit up, take notice and subsequently judge the “idiot” kicker.
5. Adam Vinatieri
New England 1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts 2006-19. 3-time first-team All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX (Patriots) and XLI (Colts) champion Career success rates: 83.8 percent FG (599 made), 97.3 percent PAT 2,673 career points in 365 games (23 seasons)
Vinatieri is arguably the most famous kicker in NFL history, thanks to the three field goals that sealed Super Bowl wins for New England three different times and one miraculous kick in snowy Foxboro to beat the Raiders in the “Tuck Rule Game.”
4. George Blanda
Chicago 1949, ‘50-58; Baltimore Colts 1950; Houston Oilers 1960-66; Oakland 1967-75. 4-time AFL All-Star. 1961 AFL MVP, 1970 NFL MVP (Bert Bell Award). Career success rates: 52.4 percent FG (335 made); 98.3 percent PAT.
Blanda was as good as a passer as he was a kicker, once tossing seven touchdowns in a single game. He played professional football in four different decades. He has kicked more extra points than any player in pro football history and is the kicker on the All-Time All-AFL Team.
3. Morten Andersen
New Orleans 1982-94; Atlanta 1995-2000, ’06-07; New York Giants 2001; Kansas City 2002-03; Minnesota 2004. 6-time All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler. Career success rates: 79.6 percent FG (565 made), 98.8 percent PAT.
2,544 career points in 382 games (25 seasons). Andersen was the premier kicker throughout the 1980s. It was his longevity that made him a legend that kicked in three different decades.
2. Lou Groza
Cleveland 1946-59, ‘61-67. 4-time first-team All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler. 4-time NFL champion (1950, ’54-55, ‘64). Career success rates: 54.9 percent FG (264 made), 97.2 percent PAT. 1,608 career points in 268 games (21 seasons). Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1974
Groza’s career wasn’t about the stats. It was about him revolutionizing the kicking game. He was the first kicker to be considered a threat to put points on the board from 40-50 yards out.
1. Justin Tucker
2012-Present. 5-time first-team All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler. Super Bowl XLVII Champion. Career success rates: 90.5 percent FG (326 made), 98.8 percent PAT. Tucker shot to the top of this list as a result of what has been a dominant career thus far.
He not only is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, but he’s also the record-holder for the longest field goal ever made (66 yards, 2021). His spot in Canton is secure