American Football

Graham Gano looks to build on Giants legacy in 2023

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NFL: New York Giants at Washington Commanders
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Gano is already one of the franchise’s best kickers

The New York Giants took a risk by signing Graham Gano in 2020, one year after he missed an entire season with a leg injury. But Gano came back as good as ever, quickly becoming the franchise’s most recognizable kicker since Lawrence Tynes.

As we continue profiling the Giants’ 90-man training camp roster, Gano provides an opportunity to step back from the position battles and rookie projections and review one of the most rock-solid spots on the team.

By the numbers

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 202
Age: 36
Position: Kicker
Experience: 14
Contract: Year 3 of three-year, $14 million deal | 2023 cap hit: $5.547 million

Career to date

Gano struggled a bit in his first few years in the NFL. He began his career in Washington in 2009 and missed 19 field goals through his first three years.

But after joining the Carolina Panthers, Gano developed into one of the league’s most reliable kickers. From 2012-2018, he made 165 of 193 field goals (85.5%). His true breakout season was 2017, when he made a league-high 96.7% of his field goals and was named to his only Pro Bowl. In 2018, he kicked a 63-yard game-winner against the Giants, one of the longest field goals in history.

Gano signed with the Giants in 2020 coming off a serious leg injury, reuniting with special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. He quickly returned to form by making 29 of his 30 field goals, setting a few Giants kicking records and earning a hefty contract extension.

In three years with New York, Gano has made 89 of 97 field goals (91.8%) with a long of 57 yards. That includes a streak of 37 consecutive field goals made, the fourth-longest in NFL history. Last year against his former Panthers squad, Gano kicked four field goals including a 56-yarder — one yard shy of the franchise record.

Now, Gano enters the 14th year of his career as one of the most respected kickers in the NFL, as well as the fourth-highest paid.

2023 outlook

Gano is one of the most reliable players on the Giants roster, and there’s no reason to expect anything besides excellence in 2023. He made of eight of nine field goals from beyond 50 yards last year, proving that age hasn’t slowed down his leg.

Gano will be a 37-year-old free agent after this year, and the Giants will presumably want to bring him back. He hasn’t given any indication that he’s nearing retirement, and there are five other kickers in the league older than him. It’s possible his Giants career is just beginning.

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