Top 10 longest field goals: A ranked list of the longest field goals attempted and made

Top 10 longest field goals: A ranked list of the longest field goals attempted and made

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:19 PM

A field goal in the game's final seconds is always the highlight for supporters watching and cheering on their preferred team. There's always a frenzy if that were the game-winning goal. Field goals in the NFL can be short. The NFL players who kick the longest field goals leave a much more lasting impact on the performance of the team and occasionally make history.

Longest field goal attempts in the NFL history
Top 10 longest field goals: A ranked list of the longest field goals attempted and made. Photo: G Fiume, Mike Mulholland, Elsa, Courtney Culbreath (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Today, there are many NFL players who have nailed some of the longest field goals from a distance of even 63 yards. And while one could argue some of the goals were more difficult than the others given the weather conditions or the defensive lines each kicker faced, they are all from impressive distances.

Top 10 longest field goals attempts in the NFL history

Out of all the seasons the NFL has had, the 2022 season has some of the biggest shoes to fill in the kicking department. But who had the biggest leg up to this point? According to recent data analysis, here are some of the longest field goals of all time.

10. Matt Bryant (62 Yards)

Longest field goals in college
Bryant of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after missing a field goal in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on 20 October 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Kevin C. Cox
Source: Getty Images
  • Buccaneers vs Eagles - 2006

A former American football placekicker named Steven Matt Bryant goes by the moniker "Money Matt." He was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL in 2000 after playing collegiate football for the Baylor Bears. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired him in 2005 as a free agent.

Despite having a lengthy and fruitful career, Bryant's NFL career began with this kick. With barely four seconds remaining, the Buccaneers trailed the Philadelphia Eagles 21-20. But Bryant, with ice coursing through him, made this 62-yard field goal to seal the victory.

9. Stephen Gostkowski (62 yards)

Longest field goals in NCAA history
Stephen Gostkowski of the Tennessee Titans watches from the sideline during a game against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium on 8 November 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Frederick Breedon
Source: Getty Images
  • Patriots vs Raiders - 2017

Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a former placekicker in American football who spent 15 years in the National Football League, principally with the New England Patriots.

At Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, 7,280 feet above sea level, Stephen Gostkowski scored a 62-yard field goal in 2017. The veteran Patriots special teams player's previous long kick was 57 yards.

8. Tom Dempsey (63 yards)

American placekicker Thomas John Dempsey played in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Buffalo Bills.

longest field goals in college
Tom Dempsey of the Wexford 1996 All-Ireland winning Jubilee team is honoured before the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick. Photo: Seb Daly
Source: Getty Images

What Tom Dempsey accomplished in 1970 stands out from the crowd for three very important reasons. Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot. Dempsey used a specially made flat-front kicking boot, currently housed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

For 28 years, his kick was the longest field goal made, and it tied for another 15 years.

7. Jason Elam (63 yards)

  • Broncos vs Jaguars - 1998

Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker who spent 15 seasons with the Denver Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos selected him in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft.

Longest field goal attempts in the NFL history
Jason Elam looks on during halftime as he is inducted to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on 24 October 2016 in Denver, Colorado. Photo: Dustin Bradford
Source: Getty Images

Before Janikowski went after it, Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos sat on the 63-yard line for more than ten years. Due to its rarity at the time, this kick is remembered by many people. Only three field goals of at least 60 yards have been made since 1980, and this one equaled a record that had stood for 28 years.

Elam's occurred near the first half's conclusion, just like the other 63-yarders were.

6. Sebastian Janikowski (63 yards)

  • Raiders at Broncos - 2011

At Mile High Stadium in Denver, Janikowski matched the record for the longest field goal attempt. He made this kick just before the first half ended to give the Raiders a 16-3 lead in the second game of the opening Monday Night Football doubleheader.

longest field goals in NCAA history
Seattle Seahawks Place Kicker Sebastian Janikowski before a match against the San Francisco 49ers on 16 December 2018 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Photo: Cody Glenn
Source: Getty Images

The Broncos were ultimately defeated by Oakland 23-20.

5. David Akers (63 yards)

  • 49ers at Packers - 2012

David Roy Akers is a retired American football placekicker who spent 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Longest field goals as of 2022
Kicker David Akers of the Detroit Lions on the field prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns on 13 October 2013 at First Energy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Nick Cammett
Source: Getty Images

Consider Akers, who at the age of 38 tied the record for the longest field goal made, if you thought Feely's 61-yard attempt was spectacular.

Akers' attempt after the first half of the 49ers' 2012 season opener was successful. His team defeated the Green Bay Packers 30-22 due to the field goal, which was his third of the half.

4. Graham Gano (63 yards)

Longest field goals in college
Graham Gano of the New York Giants lines up a field goal during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars on 23 October 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. Photo: Courtney Culbreath
Source: Getty Images
  • Panthers vs Giants - 2018

Graham Clark Gano is a placekicker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). In 2009, the Baltimore Ravens signed him as an undrafted free agent after learning of his Florida State football career. Gano has also appeared for the Carolina Panthers.

Graham Gano was well-liked in Carolina because of his propensity for making field goals from practically any position on the field. To win the game in October 2018, he had the chance to make a shot from 63 yards out.

The Scottish kicker had his shot for a career-long in a crucial circumstance after a few plays by Cam Newton, and Christian McCaffrey moved the Panthers toward midfield. On his fourth field goal of the contest, he sank it to give Carolina the 33-31 victory over the Giants.

3. Brett Maher (63 yards)

Longest field goals in NCAA history
Brett Maher of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on 26 September 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo: Elsa
Source: Getty Images
  • Cowboys vs Eagles - 2019

American football placekicker Brett Maher plays for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys. He was acquired by the New York Jets in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. In college, he played football for Nebraska.

The Big D was well-known for Brett Maher's long-range field goals. The Cowboys' kicker lined up for this 63-yard attempt on Sunday Night Football against the rival Philadelphia Eagles after making two 62-yard field goals in his career. Dallas led 27-7 at the half, and Maher's field goal with plenty of room to spare put them on their way to a 37-10 triumph.

2. Matt Prater (64 yards)

Longest field goals as of 2022
Matt Prater of the Arizona Cardinals takes a sniff of smelling salt before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on 19 December 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Mike Mulholland
Source: Getty Images

American football placekicker Matthew Phillip Prater plays for the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals. He is regarded as one of the finest long-distance kickers in NFL history, and he currently owns the NFL record for most 50+ yard field goals in a career. From 2013 until 2021, he held the NFL record for the longest field goal (64 yards).

In 2013, Prater broke the mark with his 64-yard field goal on a chilly December day in Denver. With the help of a subsequent 41-7 run, the Broncos defeated the Tennessee Titans 51-28.

1. Justine Tucker (66 yards)

  • Ravens at Lions - 2021

For the National Football League's Baltimore Ravens, Justin Paul Tucker serves as the team's placekicker. 2012 saw the Ravens sign him as an undrafted free agent after he played college football for Texas. Tucker is recognized as one of the best placekickers of all time and is renowned for his almost flawless accuracy.

On September 26, 2021, against the Detroit Lions, the four-time All-Pro kicked an incredible 66-yard field goal and created history. It broke the record for the longest field goal ever made and gave the Baltimore Ravens the victory with seconds left on the clock.

For many years, Tucker's field goal kick is certain to hold the NFL record. No one has even been close, despite several attempts.

Justin Tucker's longest field goal
Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on 4 December 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: G Fiume
Source: Getty Images

Justin Tucker's longest field goal established an NFL record, but fell far short of the NCAA mark. In a game against East Texas State on 16 October 1976, Ove Johansson of Abilene Christian kicked a 69-yard field goal. With the kick, Johansson broke a college record that had been held for less than 20 minutes.

Although Tucker and Prater are undoubtedly the more experienced kickers, they will face some tough competition. Last season, Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and Chicago Bears player Brandon McManus kicker career-long 61-yard field goals.

Evidently, kickers are getting better and better, and today more than ever, many players have emerged recording some of the longest field goals in the NFL history. But let us face it, the more it becomes better, the more popular the sports grows.

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Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.