After years of underwhelming kicking game, the Indianapolis Colts decided to make a splash and sign free agent Matt Gay to one of the biggest contracts for a kicker in NFL history.
Reportedly, Gay signed for four-year and $22.5 million, making it the largest deal ever for a kicker in free agency. His average salary of $5.625 million is also the second-highest in the league for the position, trailing only Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker, who is earning $6 million annually.
The curiosity of the deal is that the Indianapolis Colts already had Gay on their team at one point. The Utah product was on the Colts’ practice squad in 2020 but got plucked away by the Los Angeles Rams after Kai Forbath got injured.
In LA, Gay established himself as one of the most reliable kickers in the game. He led the league in field goal efficiency in 2021, converting 32-of-34 field goal attempts while missing only one PAT out of 49 attempted. He also converted eight field goals out of 10 attempted in the postseason to help the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.
Gay was also efficient last season, missing only two field goals from 51 yards and 61 yards, respectively. His 87.8 percent career efficiency on FGs makes him one of the top 5 most accurate kickers in the history of the league.
