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The Arizona Cardinals are not playing around.
No, they are going heavy with veterans at key positions, including bringing in a veteran kicker with a big leg in Matt Prater.
From the team:
The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has agreed to terms with kicker Matt Prater on a two-year contract. In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection (2013, ‘16), Prater (5-10, 201) comes to the Cardinals after spending the past seven seasons (2014-20) with the Lions. A 14-year NFL veteran, Prater has played with the Falcons (2007), Broncos (2007-13) and Lions (2014-20) in his career after entering the league as an undrafted rookie free agent with Detroit in 2006 out of the University of Central Florida. In 203 career games, Prater has made 321-of-386 field goal attempts (83.2%) and 491-of-503 PATs (97.6%). At the end of the 2020 season, Prater’s 1,454 career points ranked fourth among active NFL players behind only kickers Stephen Gostkowski (1,875), Robbie Gould (1,731) and Mason Crosby (1,682).
One of the top long-distance kickers in league history, the 36-year old Prater holds NFL records for the longest field goal (64 yards vs. Tennessee in 2013), most career field goals of 50+ yards (59), consecutive made field goals of 50+ yards (14) and consecutive field goal conversions of 55+ yards (7). In his career, Prater has made 59-of-79 field goal attempts from 50+ yards, with his 74.7% success rate the highest in NFL history. His five career field goals of 59+ yards are the most in NFL history as are his seven seasons with at least five made field goals of 50+ yards. Prater holds the franchise record for the longest field goal with both Denver (64 yards) and Detroit (59 yards, twice).
Prater is also one of the top clutch kickers in NFL history, having connected on all 22 game-winning field goal attempts with two minutes or less remaining in the fourth quarter and overtime (16-of-16 in regulation and 6-of-6 in overtime). His most recent game-winner came with Detroit in 2020 when he connected on a 59-yarder as time expired to give the Lions a 30-27 victory vs. Washington in Week 10.
He has been named Special Teams Player of the Month four times and Special Teams Player of the Week 12 times. His 12 Special Teams Player of the Week selections are tied for third-most in NFL history by a kicker. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice last season with the Lions (Weeks 3 and 10).