4 free agent kickers that could pique Rams’ interest this offseason

Ka’imi Fairbairn will be the hottest kicker to hit the free agent market this spring

It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Rams need a better performance from their kicker next year than what they got out of the position in 2023. Between Brett Maher and Lucas Havrisik, Los Angeles missed 16 combined field goals and extra points last season.

Matt Gay had brought stability to the Rams’ kicking position for a few years before he signed the richest free agent contract for a kicker in NFL history last spring. The Rams tried to go cheap and ended up getting what they paid for. LA signed two undrafted free agents upon the conclusion of the NFL Draft, Tanner Brown and Christopher Dunn. Brown won the minicamp kicking competition, but Brown was released in favor of Maher ahead of the start of the regular season. Brown is now back on the team’s offseason roster.

Did the Rams learn a lesson that you may have to invest more heavily if you want better results? Could they explore adding a veteran kicker this offseason, or will they instead attempt to build through the draft or another UDFA?

These veteran kickers will be available in free agency:

#1 – Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Fairbairn made 27 of his 28 field goal attempts last season and missed just one point after try. The 29 year old has ability to kick from distance. His career long was set at 61 yards back in 2021. Fairbairn is has made 41 of 52 attempts between 40-49 yards and then 29 of 40 tries from 50 yards out or beyond.

Is he the best kicker in the NFL? No. Is he the Rams’ most realistic and reliable option available? Maybe.

It’s likely that Fairbairn would cost more than four to five million per year on a free agent contract.

#2 – Will Lutz, Denver Broncos

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The Broncos acquired Lutz via trade from the New Orleans Saints just before the start of the regular season last year to reunite him with head coach Sean Payton. Denver is largely considered a favorable location for kickers because of altitude, but Lutz’s results last year were just OK. He made 30 of 34 attempts and missed two extra points. Two of those misses came from outside 50 yards, but his longest make of the season was from 52. Lutz kicked a 60-yard field goal for his career high in 2022.

Lutz should be a more affordable option than Fairbairn but he’d still likely cost more than $3M annually.

#3 – Greg Zuerlein, New York Jets

Zuerlein isn’t the same player that he was during his time with the Rams. He’s 36 years old now and likely in the later stages of his career. “Legatron” still has the ability to hit from deep as he made a 60-yard field goal just two years ago. The Jets asked Zuerlein to attempt 17 kicks from more than 50 yards out the last two seasons.

While he still has the distance, his accuracy is not as dependable as it was early in his career. 2023 was an especially strong year for him, but it may be an outlier as he has been around 81-82% accuracy for the few years prior.

Zuerlein currently makes $2.6M annually with the Jets and after a strong 2023 could command more than that on the open market.

#4 – Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Rams ended up with McLaughlin as their long-term kicker after the Colts gave Matt Gay a premium free agent contract to replace McLaughlin after the 2022 season? Still, at 27 and with his ability to hit from deep, McLaughlin will be an attractive option for teams in free agency that aren’t necessarily shopping at the top of the market.

His career long is from 57 yards. This season with the Bucs McLaughlin made seven of eight attempts from beyond 50 and converted all 33 of his point after tries.

2022 and prior was more shaky, so the Rams would be making a bet after his best individual season yet. With the Colts in 2022, McLaughlin attempted 12 kicks from outside 50 yards and made nine of them. In 2021 with the Cleveland Browns he struggled in the 40-49 range where he converted only four of his 10 attempts.

Would the Rams be willing to bet that McLaughlin turned a corner in 2023 and could be their long-term solution at kicker? Is his pre-2023 production a more accurate representation of who he is as a player?