Brett Maher appears on the list for the first time for his 62-yarder field goal against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in 2019. The kicker will make two more appearances in the list. He’s responsible for the four longest fields in Cowboys history, with makes from 63, 62, 62, and 60 yards.
Matt Prater appears on this list quite a bit, as the two-time Pro Bowler actually holds the record for most 50+ yard field goals made in NFL history. At 40 years old, he continues to kick for the Cardinals, and he drilled a 62-yarder last season in Arizona’s Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 24, 2023. Heading into halftime, the Cardinals drove down the field and gave Prater the opportunity to kick the 62-yarder. Prater connected on the line-drive shot, giving the Cardinals a 21-10 lead entering halftime. Arizona would go on to pull off the upset win over Dallas, 28-16.
Brett Maher’s stint with the Dallas Cowboys featured plenty of ups and downs. After taking over the job from longtime great Greg Zuerlein, Maher dazzled with some exceptional clutch kicks but also dealt with injuries and struggles. Still, there’s no question that Maher has a boot, as evidenced by the fact that he appears twice on this list. On Dec. 8, 2018, Maher kicked a game-winning 62-yarder in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-23.
Back in 2017, the New England Patriots and then-Oakland Raiders were facing off in Mexico as part of the NFL International Series. Stephen Gostkowski impressed the crowd at Estadio Azteca, kicking a 62-yard bomb as time expired to end the first half on Nov. 19, 2017. Gostkowski had the tough task of replacing Adam Vinatieri after he left New England to join the Indianapolis Colts. While he had huge shoes to fill, Gostkowski developed his own legacy as a Patriots great, becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Pro Bowler, five-time NFL scoring leader, and three-time All-Pro. Also, Gostkowski was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
Once again, the Eagles were on the wrong side of a historically long field goal. This time around, it was Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Matt Bryant, who managed a 62-yard game-winning field goal back on Oct. 22, 2006. Bryant drilled this kick as time expired to seal the game 23-21. Bryant would play 19 seasons in the NFL, becoming a Pro Bowler and leading the NFL in scoring in 2016. However, he’s most remembered for this incredible kick.
As time expired in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 29, 2024, New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye drilled a 63-yarder. The Pats were trailing 20-0 at the time, but this kick got them on the board. Putting up points hasn’t been easy for the 2024 Patriots, but having a weapon like Slye who can kick field goals from this deep is definitely a plus for New England’s special teams unit.
Maher is known for connecting regularly from deep. During his prime, he made 50+ yard kicks look easy. He became the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals of at least 62 yards in his career. To this day, he’s responsible for the four longest fields in Cowboys history, with makes from 63, 62, 62, and 60 yards.
On Oct. 20, 2019, Maher was given an opportunity to kick a 62-yarder right before halftime against (you guessed it) the Eagles in front of the home crowd at AT&T Stadium. Maher drilled it, and Dallas ultimately won the game 37-10.
Panthers kicker Graham Gano is tied for the third-longest NFL field goal in history thanks to his 63-yard make against the New York Giants on Oct. 7 2018. Not only is this tied for the third longest, but it’s also tied for the second-longest game-winning field goal in NFL history. Gano became one of the most consistent kickers in the modern era.
David Akers, the left-footed phenom, spent an impressive 16 years in the NFL. On Sept. 9, 2012, he tied the then-record for the longest field goal with a 63-yard kick outdoors at Lambeau Field. Akers got just enough on the field goal, as the football bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights. San Francisco went on to win the game, 30-22. Akers made many clutch kicks during his NFL career.
Sebastian Janikowski was an elite kicker with one of the most powerful legs in NFL history. The Raiders were openly mocked when they selected him with a first-round pick, but the former Florida State Seminoles kicker ended up having a long, successful career.
On Sept. 12, 2011, during a Monday Night Football matchup against the Denver Broncos, he drilled a 63-yard field goal in Mile High. While Janikowski is remembered for being the only kicker drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, he created plenty of memorable moments throughout his 18-year career, including this kick against the Broncos.
If you’re a Broncos fan, there’s a good chance you know who Jason Elam is, as he played nearly his entire NFL career with Denver. Elam became the first kicker to tie Tom Dempsey’s longstanding record, doing so 28 years after Dempsey’s field goal. The kick was a thing of beauty. Some naysayers point to the fact that Elam was kicking at Mile High as the reason he was able to tie Dempsey’s long-standing record on Oct. 25, 1998. (Janikowski’s 63-yarder in 2011 was also in Denver). However, Elam was a phenomenal kicker who was a two-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowler. The altitude in Mile High may have played a factor, but this shouldn’t diminish this achievement.
Tom Dempsey has one of the most interesting and unique stories in NFL history. What he managed to accomplish in his time with the Saints is nothing short of incredible. Although this particular feat took place more than 50 years ago on Nov. 8, 1970, it remains arguably the greatest kick of all time. What made this particular kick so special? Well, Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot, which he kicked with, so he wore a custom-built flat-front kicking boot. (He also had no fingers on his right hand). Given the circumstances, kicking a 63-yard game-winning field goal is even more impressive. Dempsey’s record stood for four decades. It’s also worth noting that this was back when goalposts were in the middle of the end-zone and not in the back of the scoring area, something the league changed in 1974.
Another record-breaking kick in the Denver altitude! This time, it was Prater who successfully surpassed Dempsey during the first half of an eventual 28-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 8, 2013. Did the altitude in Mile High Stadium play a role? Perhaps. But Prater was one of the best kickers in the NFL and known to have one of the game’s strongest legs, which is why he’s on this list twice.
While many of the kicks on this list occurred at the end of a half, Aubrey’s near-record-setting 65-yard field goal occurred with 6:38 remaining in the first quarter on Sept. 22, 2024, which shows just how much Mike McCarthy and Co. trust their kicker. Aubrey’s kick came on 4th and 12, and the 29-year-old drilled it with ease. He definitely could’ve made it from several yards out, if needed. Aubrey certainly seems like a candidate to make history and eventually kick the longest field goal in league history. But for now, that title belongs to...
In 2021, future Hall-of-Famer Justin Tucker kicked what would become not only the longest field goal ever made but also the longest game-winning field goal of all time when he connected on a 66-yarder as time expired to defeat the Detroit Lions, 19-17, on Sept. 26, 2021. Tucker will go down as one of the greatest kickers in NFL history, so it is fitting that he has the record. Tucker has been automatic for the Ravens throughout his NFL career.
