The longest field goals in NFL history
Nick Tre. Smith/Contributor/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
- Kickers have only gotten more accurate from further distances over the NFL's 105-year history.
- In that span, 13 players have made field goals from 62 yards out or longer during an official game.
- New Orleans Saints kicker Tom Dempsey's 63-yard field goal in 1970 held the NFL record for 43 years.
Kickers are often the unsung heroes of NFL teams.
In the NFL's 105-year history, kickers have improved their accuracy and range so much that it's become common β and, for some, expected β to see the league's best consistently nail field goals from beyond 50 yards.
But that doesn't mean it's easy.
Only 13 NFL kickers have managed to overcome field goal distances of 62 yards or more in official games. Together, these players have scored a total of 17 field goals from such record-breaking distances.
One of those kickers is Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs, who added his name to the history books in 2022 with a 62-yard strike against the Buffalo Bills.
His skills have been well on display this season, completing 84% of field goal attempts in the regular season and 100% in the postseason, and could be the difference-maker in Super Bowl LIX.
The last time the Chiefs faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, it all came down to a 27-yard field goal by Butker.
So, as NFL fans prepare for this highly anticipated rematch, here's a look back some of the longest field goals made in league history.
Drew Hallowell/Contributor/Getty Images
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Year: 2006
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Elevation: 36 feet
Conditions: 89 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 7 mph wind
Game Context: With his Buccaneers down one point and just four seconds remaining in the contest, Bryant blasted a 62-yard field goal through the uprights to give Tampa Bay the walk-off victory.
Jessica Rinaldi/Contributor/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Team: New England Patriots
Year: 2017
Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Elevation: 7,200 feet
Conditions: 63 degrees Fahrenheit, overcast, 14-17 mph wind
Game Context: Gostkowski extended the Patriots' lead over the Oakland Raiders to 17 with a 62-yard kick that comfortably soared through the sticks.
Richard Rodriguez/Stringer/Getty Images
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2018
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Elevation: Approximately 550 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: As time expired in the first half, Maher booted a 62 yarder to put the Cowboys up six against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Al Pereira/Contributor/Getty Images
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2019
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Elevation: 7 feet
Conditions: 64 degrees Fahrenheit, mostly sunny, 7 mph wind
Game Context: Maher knocked a long ball through the uprights just before halftime to close the gap between the New York Jets and his Cowboys.
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Year: 2021
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Elevation: 1,070 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: Prater put the Cardinals up one against the Minnesota Vikings as time expired in the first half.
Nick Tre. Smith/Contributor/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Year: 2022
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Elevation: 843 feet
Conditions: 66 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 15 mph wind
Game Context: Butker nailed a 62 yarder with room to spare to tie the game for the Chiefs as time expired in the first half against the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Christy/Contributor/Getty Images
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Year: 2023
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Elevation: 1,070 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: Prater's big boot helped the Cardinals stretch their lead over the Dallas Cowboys to 11 as they headed into the locker room for halftime.
Bettmann/Contributor/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Team: New Orleans Saints
Year: 1970
Location: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
Elevation: 16 feet
Conditions: 65 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 mph wind
Game context: With his Saints down a point against the Detroit Lions and mere seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dempsey hit a 63-yard field goal to give New Orleans the win and smash the previous NFL record of 56 yards.
Vincent Laforet/Staff/Getty Images
Team: Denver Broncos
Year: 1998
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Elevation: 5,280 feet
Conditions: 51 degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy, 10 mph wind
Game Context: Elam ended the first half with a then-record-tying 63-yard boot to put his Broncos up by 17 points over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Doug Pensinger/Staff/Getty Images
Team: Oakland Raiders
Year: 2011
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Elevation: 5,280 feet
Conditions: 75 degrees Fahrenheit, light rain, 6 mph wind
Game Context: Janikowski βΒ nicknamed "Seabass" among fans of the franchise βΒ sent the Raiders into halftime with a 16-3 lead against the Denver Broncos after nailing a 63 yarder in week one.
AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Year: 2012
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Elevation: 640 feet
Conditions: 70 degrees Fahrenheit, overcast, 7 mph wind
Game Context: Akers launched a 63-yard blast off the crossbar and through the uprights to give his 49ers a 16-7 lead over the Green Bay Packers heading into halftime.
Streeter Lecka/Staff/Getty Images
Team: Carolina Panthers
Year: 2018
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Elevation: Approximately 734 feet
Conditions: 88 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 6 mph wind
Game Context: Gano's 63-yard kick gave his Panthers the two-point victory against the New York Giants as time expired.
Tom Pennington/Staff/Getty Images
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2019
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Elevation: Approximately 550 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: Maher set Dallas' franchise record with a 63-yard shot that put the Cowboys up 20 at halftime against their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, during week seven.
Michael Zagaris/Contributor/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Team: New England Patriots
Year: 2024
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Elevation: 72 feet
Conditions: 76 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 4.7 mph wind
Game Context: In a week four matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Slye set a Patriots record when he scored the team's first points of the game to conclude the first half. The San Francisco 49ers went on to win the game 30-13.
Justin Edmonds/Stringer/Getty Images
Team: Denver Broncos
Year: 2013
Location: Empire Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Elevation: 5,280 feet
Conditions: 13 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 3 mph wind
Game Context: Prater helped the Broncos come within 1 point of the Tennessee Titans heading into halftime with a 64-yard strike that broke Dempsey's longstanding record.
Ron Jenkins/Stringer/Getty Images
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2024
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Elevation: Approximately 550 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: Aubrey's near-record-breaking kick game in the first quarter of the Cowboys game against the Baltimore Ravens, to give his team their first points of the game. The Cowboys later lost the game 28-25.
Nic Antaya/Contributor/Getty Images
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Year: 2021
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Elevation: Approximately 600 feet
Conditions: Indoors
Game Context: Tucker drilled a game-winner off the crossbar and through the uprights from 66 yards out to lead his Ravens past the Detroit Lions and beat Prater's record by a full 2 yards.
On January 30, 2025, The Baltimore Banner reported that Tucker had been accused of sexual misconduct by six massage therapists. When reached by Business Insider for a comment, a representative for Tucker shared his statement on X denouncing the allegations as "unequivocally false."
