When will we see a 70-yard field goal? NFL kickers have gotten so good, it may be this year

Fifty is the new 30, and we’re not talking about age.

NFL kickers have improved significantly in recent years. It’s felt as obvious as ever this season, but the numbers have validated the eye test.

Through the first six weeks of the season, we have seen all-time highs in 50-plus-yard field-goal attempts (103), along with makes (77) and conversion rate (74.8 percent). Since 2019, kickers have nearly doubled their attempts from 50-plus (55) and tripled their makes (29) in the opening six weeks.

Looking at it another way, kickers are as good now from 50-plus as they were from any distance in a single season prior to 1993, which was the first season in history when teams cumulatively converted at least 75 percent of their field goals.

60-yarders have become more weaponized, too. Since 1960, there have been 40 successful field goals of at least 60 yards. An astonishing 33 of those (82.5 percent) have occurred since 2009, and half have come since 2019.

With one more 60-yard boot this season, it’ll be the fourth consecutive year with at least four such field goals. Before this stretch, the previous high in a single season was three in 2012, and there were only four other seasons with two total 60-yarders (2006, 2013, 2017, 2018).

John Carney, who kicked in the NFL from 1987-2010, opened Carney Coaching in California after his retirement to train specialists, so he has seen the kicking boom from two unique perspectives. He is adamant this is no fluke, and that kicking will continue to improve across the board.

“I’m excited to see where that’s going to go,” Carney said.

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who trains with Carney, has made three from 60-plus since December, including a 65-yarder in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens. Aubrey was prepared to attempt a 71-yarder in the regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns before head coach Mike McCarthy changed his mind — drawing boos from Browns fans who wanted to see Aubrey shatter Justin Tucker’s 66-yard record. (It’s worth noting Aubrey hit a 66-yarder in a preseason game.)

It’s still probably just a matter of time.

“At some point, someone is going to hit a 70-yarder,” said a longtime special teams coordinator, who was granted anonymity to speak freely on the intricacies of improved kicking.

There are myriad reasons behind the kicking explosion, from training to equipment and even networking. It’s why this trend is viewed as more of a launching point than the destination.

Carney, who retired with the third most points in league history, has had a firsthand look at NFL kicking for nearly four decades. After retirement, he still trained with longtime kicker Nick Folk and punter Steve Weatherford in his garage, but he decided to open a larger operation in a blue-collar, warehouse-style gym for high school, college and pro kickers. His NFL clientele has included Aubrey, Younghoe Koo, Tyler Bass and Jason Sanders, among others, so he has experience training some of the game’s best.

The improvements at the position have started with coaching. There used to be minimal specialized coaches for amateur kickers, and the NFL devoted a fraction of the resources to the position. Now, athletes at all levels can find private coaches, offseason programs and camps as well as coaches like Carney who can keep them sharp year-round — whether they’re refining their mechanics or trying to stay in shape while circling the free-agent workout circuit.

And then there’s the technology. For starters, kickers can blast their workouts all over social media. That might sound mundane in this day and age, but it’s important for coaches — private, college or professional — who can watch a player with a click and determine whether he’s worth a longer look. That’s exponentially widened the available talent pool. And more specific to in-house tech, kickers have appreciated the chance to slow down the replays of their kicks, frame by frame, to understand where they can find technical improvements.

The individual equipment is wildly superior, too. Kickers used to wear cleats made from kangaroo leather, but they’ve since moved to synthetic leather that doesn’t stretch, feels more lightweight with more support and has a better lace pattern and with the traction to improve grip.

The footballs themselves have also played an integral role. Since the NFL has allowed more time for teams to condition the K-balls — balls only used for kicking — before games, kickers have been able to specify them to their liking. It’s far more conducive to success than essentially pulling a new ball out of a plastic bag and hoping for the best.

“The product is finally at a condition and a state that it was intended to be at for kicking and punting, which is not to take away anything from these kickers,” Carney said. “These kickers and punters are sensational these days. I’m not saying they have a juiced ball so anybody can do this. That’s not it. These guys are phenomenal. But you’re not going to tell me a Morten Andersen, a (Sebastian) Janikowski or a Jason Hanson — with their leg strength, capability and talent — that they wouldn’t be bombing some of these balls, as well. The ball is a factor, 100 percent.”

These kickers also have networks of resources. First, the special teams coordinator said so many kickers have maintained close relationships that they can call or text each other before the season or a game to gain a better understanding of the elements and conditions at each stadium.

Second, there’s a coaching tree of sorts. If an NFL or college coach is looking for a kicker — recruit, transfer portal, draft, free-agent workout — they can contact a specialized trainer for a recommendation.

Carney has his established track record. Jamie Kohl, a private trainer and current consultant with the Carolina Panthers, has become one of the most reliable resources for coaches. For those looking for an Australian flavor, they surely know Nathan Chapman.

Essentially, it’s become like any other successful business entity. If a coach trusts a trainer to provide an accurate assessment of a kicker, they’ll continue to return for more recommendations.

“It’s like buying something online,” the coordinator said.

Let’s not bypass the biggest factor in the kicking boom. Like any other position or major sport, players are far superior athletes nowadays.

Nowadays, trainers understand strength work extends far beyond squats and the bench press. Kickers need to work on explosiveness, balance, agility, mobility, flexibility and range of motion. Trainers like Carney ensure their athletes focus on exercises like jumping vertically, laterally and horizontally while mixing in enough plyometrics and hip flexors. Balance is also paramount to performance.

And there’s the recovery aspect. Carney laughed at the notion that they basically had a cold tank and a hot pool. Now, they’ve got compression booths, cryotherapy, float tanks, Theraguns and compression shorts that will increase post-workout circulation while flushing out lactic acids. Add targeted supplements and science-based diets, and athletes have a literal recipe to increasing production.

“In the last 10 years, the amount of attention that goes to recovery has tripled compared to where I was at in the NFL,” Carney said. “These are all things that continue to evolve and push the athletes to new levels.”

Aubrey has quickly become the NFL’s newest sensation. He led the league with 36 field goals (on 38 attempts) last season as a rookie, and he’s off to an NFL-best 17-of-19 in 2024. Aubrey is 18-of-19 from 50-plus, including 8-of-9 this season.

He has an esteemed soccer background, playing at Notre Dame before a stint in the MLS. After a few years of training and a successful showing in the United States Football League combine, Aubrey got a shot with the Birmingham Stallions and parlayed it into a look with the Cowboys.

Both Carney and the special teams coordinator noted that it typically takes a few years for kickers to break into the NFL. There’s such a demand for consistency that someone like Aubrey would never crack into the league on skill alone.

But what about the soccer background? Can teams copycat the Aubrey strategy?

“He’s a special case, to be honest with you,” Carney said. “He’s not just your average soccer player, obviously pretty darn talented who was always known to have a very strong leg on the pitch. But there’s more to the equation. He became very passionate about football. He sought out good coaching. He was patient.

“He’s made a huge splash in the NFL. I’m excited for him. The NFL is excited for him, and it’s great to see. Sure enough, scouts are running to the nearest soccer field right now looking for the next Brandon Aubrey.”

Aubrey isn’t a revelation in the soccer respect. The NFL used to conduct kicking camps in Europe a half century ago, drawing in soccer players like Garo Yepremian. Carney estimated 95 percent of current kickers have a background in soccer, even if they haven’t reached Aubrey’s level at Notre Dame or the MLS.

Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal in 1970, and the record stood until Jason Elam tied it in 1998. But because Elam’s boot occurred in the Denver altitude, there was an unofficial asterisk on it.

Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski joined the club in 2011, but his kick also occurred in Denver. Matt Prater hit a 64-yarder in 2012, but that was another Rocky Mountain rocket. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, typically considered the most physically talented kicker of his generation, finally smashed the mark with a 66-yard boot in 2021 in Detroit.

For so long, 63 yards was the white whale. It felt like the magical number that couldn’t be surpassed.

Now, with kickers expanding their range at an unprecedented rate, it’s looking like Tucker’s mark is a placeholder. And it might not be more than a footnote shortly thereafter.

“I believe there are kickers right now,” Carney said, “who can make it from 70 if the conditions are right.”

(Photo of Brandon Aubrey: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)