Who are the 10 greatest kickers of all time?

Being a kicker in the NFL is hard work.

When a kick is taken, it is loved and celebrated by the fans for their ability to secure points – but when the kick is missed, there are very few places where the kickers receive vitriol from both critics and fan bases alike.

There have been few place kickers throughout the league’s history who have won Super Bowl titles or even served as key parts of the core of a franchise.

But this got us thinking, who are the greatest kickers in NFL history?

Using a combination of statistics and accomplishments, FOX Sports Research has broken 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 prolific throughout his career than Vinatieri. He is one of only three kickers to have seven or more field goals made in a Super Bowl, and most famously hit a spectacular kick for the Patriots in a storm 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 leading scorer before Vinatieri passed him, Morten Andersen’s longevity is unparalleled. “The Great Dane” played as many as 25 seasons and three decades apart, 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, inducted as part of the 2017 class.

3. Justin Tucker

The only active player on this list, Justin Tucker may be the longest field goal kicker in NFL history. He holds the league record for longest field goal made at 66 yards, and his 63 field goals from 50-plus yards are the second most by any kicker since 1991. As of Week 16 of the 2024 season, he has an 89.1% success rate on his kicks – the highest rate in NFL history. Tucker is an eight-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion.

4. Lou Groza

Lou Groza’s place on this list is based mostly on statistics, but mostly on the fact that he made changes in the game. He was kicking long field goals before it was the norm back in the 1950s, and he also played offensive tackle. Groza played 21 seasons with the Browns and was named to six All-Pro teams and 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, and a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler – Stephen Gostowski led the NFL with five touchdowns. He is one of three kickers to record seven or more field goals in a Super Bowl, joining Vinatieri and Harrison Butker. Gostowski also became the first pitcher since unification in 1970 to lead the league in hitting in more than two consecutive seasons, doing so four years in a row from 2012 to 2015.

6. George Blanda

Another change like Groza, George Blanda was a defender who was also a good kicker. Blanda’s 940 extra points are the most in NFL history, as he played 26 seasons of professional football between the AFL and the NFL from 1949 to 1975. He’s one of just seven players ever to score more than 2,000 points, and he was earned. he entered 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 have played other positions as well), Stenerud’s CV is long – having won a Super Bowl, an AFL championship, been named to six All-American teams – Pro. , four Pro Bowl selections, and was inducted into both the Chiefs and Packers Hall of Fame. When he retired in 1985, only George Blanda had more than his 1,699 points.

8. Gary Anderson

After spending most of his 23-year career with the Steelers, Gary Anderson is the greatest kicker in Pittsburgh history. His 2,434 points and 538 made field goals both rank third all-time, and he hit 820 of 827 extra points – 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 received four Pro Bowl selections.

9. Jason Elamu

Jason Elam is one of 11 kickers to make a field goal from 63-plus yards, and one of only two to do so before 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 rank eighth all-time and his 436 field goals made break the top 10.

10. Jason Hanson

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 remains the only kicker ever to be called. Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Honorable Mention:

• Matt Stover
• Matt Prater
• Robbie Gould
• Mark Moseley

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