Arizona Cardinals sign kicker Matt Prater to 2-year deal
Mar 17, 2021, 4:25 PM | Updated: 4:25 pm
Matt Prater #5 of the Detroit Lions kicks a 56-yard FG in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 29, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals have signed veteran kicker Matt Prater to a two-year contract, the franchise announced Wednesday.
Prater, 36, made 21 of his 28 field goal attempts for the Detroit Lions, where he had previously been since 2014. All seven of those misses came from 40 yards and beyond, as Prater has not converted from inside 40 yards only twice in the past five years. He was 38-of-41 on extra points last season and 35-of-36 in 2019.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Prater has made 83% of his 386 career field goal attempts. Prater is known for being one of the best power legs of all time, holding the record for the NFL’s longest field goal at 64 yards and his 59 career makes from 50 yards or beyond is the most ever.
Prater will replace last year’s kicker and former Arizona State Sun Devil Zane Gonzalez. The Cardinals released Gonzalez in early March. He missed the final four games of the year due to a back injury and before that went 16-of-22 on field goals.
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Gonzalez was shaky in the 40- to 49-yard range, making 8 of 13 attempts and costing Arizona multiple opportunities to walk away with wins in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Sixteen-year veteran Mike Nugent replaced Gonzalez and knocked in 7 of 8 field goals during the final quarter of the season.
