The Cincinnati Bengals are loaded with star power, but it is one of their unsung heroes winning a major award, as kicker Evan McPherson has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month. McPherson has been perfect through the month of September, converting 8 of 8 field goals. Those aren’t just chip shots either; NFL.com reported that McPherson has made an NFL-high 5 field goals from 50-plus yards. Of course, Bengals fans already know about their beloved kicker’s big leg. He is one of only 9 kickers to make a 63-yard field goal, though a few kickers have made even longer kicks as the limits of kicking power continue to be pushed.
McPherson’s Return to Form
When the Bengals drafted the kicker out of Florida in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, expectations were high. Investing mid-range draft capital in a kicker shows real confidence that he will be a difference-maker. For the Bengals, that was largely true early on in McPherson’s career. In his rookie season, McPherson made 84.8% of his field goals and helped lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance, making a perfect 14 of 14 field goals and 6 of 6 extra points. In fact, for his first three seasons, he maintained an over 80% make rate on his field goals.
Then in 2024, McPherson struggled for the first time in his young career. He made only 72.7% of his kicks up through December 1, when he was later placed on IR with a groin injury. For the first time in his young career, there was reason to doubt whether McPherson was still the reliable kicker he had been through his first three seasons. After all, watching a kicker miss kicks that you’re accustomed to them making truly hits different for a dedicated fan. After a healthy offseason and going into 2025, Evan McPherson had a lot to prove, and he rewarded fans with the best year of his career, converting 89.3% of his kicks and making that career-long 63-yarder. He has followed that campaign with this red-hot start into 2026, and Bengals fans have to be ecstatic with the kicker’s current form.
Chasing Records
McPherson isn’t just having a good stretch; he is looking to etch his name into the Bengals’ franchise record books. While his star draft mate Ja’Marr Chase once famously promised to break every record the Bengals have got (a feat he seems to get closer and closer to every year), McPherson is closing in on a record of his own. Dating back to last season, he has made 20 straight field goals, one behind the franchise record of 21 held by Shayne Graham. This would just further cement McPherson’s legacy as one of the best kickers, not only in Bengals history but in the entire NFL right now.
For a team with physical and metaphorical giants like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Dexter Lawrence, it is the kicker, the unsung hero, who is taking home hardware in September. The Bengals certainly have their eyes set on more important trophies than September player of the month awards, but it is always nice to see some of the underrated players get some love. Make sure you keep an eye out this weekend for Evan McPherson, as two more swings of his leg could vault him into the Cincinnati record books.
Bengals Kicker Evan McPherson Earns AFC Special Teams Honor