Is Matt Prater A Hall Of Famer

Let’s talk about a man who kicks a football for a living. We’re discussing Matt Prater, the human trebuchet with a leg that could double as a javelin launcher. The question that has haunted sleepy sports bars and heated Twitter debates is this: Is Matt Prater a Hall of Famer? Grab a cold one, because we’re diving into the messy, hilarious case for a kicker who once made a football travel 64 yards like it was a postage stamp.

The 64-Yard Miracle (And Why Your Brain Broke)

Let’s start with the obvious: Matt Prater once kicked a 64-yard field goal. In 2013, playing for the Denver Broncos, he booted the ball so hard that physics had to take a second mortgage. That kick broke the NFL record at the time, beating Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard mark that had stood since 1970. For context, that’s longer than most people can throw a football, and definitely longer than your uncle can throw his back out reaching for a beer.

Now, this is where it gets weird: Prater’s record only lasted eight years. Justin Tucker crushed it with a 66-yarder in 2021. But here’s the thing: Prater’s 64-yard kick was in Denver, at mile-high altitude, which is basically cheating if you’re a kicker. The air is thinner, the balls fly farther, and kicks look like they’re laughing at gravity. Still, you can’t fake that power. It’s like hitting a golf ball off the top of Everest—impressive, even if you had an unfair advantage.

The Longevity Game: A Kicker’s Secret Sauce

Here’s where Prater sneaks up on you. Most kickers wash out faster than a cheap raincoat. Prater? He’s been kicking since 2007, and he’s still bombing field goals for the Arizona Cardinals as of 2024. That’s 17 seasons of getting your knee replaced four times and still slapping a pigskin through the uprights. He’s tied for 10th all-time in field goals made, and he’s got a career accuracy of over 82%. That’s like a free-throw shooter who doesn’t choke in the fourth quarter. He’s basically the Tom Brady of kicking, but with fewer Super Bowl rings and more beards.

But here’s the punchline: Prater has never made an All-Pro team. That’s right—the guy with the monster leg, who played for a Broncos team that won a Super Bowl (he was on the 2015 roster, even if he missed the playoffs with a suspension), has never been voted the best kicker in the league. Why? Because kicker greatness is like being a good umpire: you only get noticed when you screw up. Prater’s screw-ups include a suspension for alcohol abuse and a few ugly playoff misses. But his consistency over a decade and a half is absurd. He’s only missed three field goals from 50+ yards in his entire career. That’s like being a dentist who only pulls three teeth in 17 years.

Buffalo Bills 41, Baltimore Ravens 40: Final score, stats, highlights

The Hall of Fame Gatekeeping Problem

Let’s be real: the Hall of Fame hates kickers. Only three pure kickers are enshrined: Jan Stenerud, Morten Andersen, and Adam Vinatieri. That’s like having a “Best Dressed” list that only includes three people since 1963. The rules are brutally simple: you need rings, records, and a compelling story. Prater has the record, but he doesn’t have a ring as a starter (he was suspended during the Broncos’ Super Bowl run), and his story is less “dramatic game-winner” and more “guy who kicked a really long ball once and then kept kicking for a long time.”

Surprising fact: Prater is the only kicker in NFL history with multiple 60-yard field goals. He’s got three of them! That’s more than any human being alive. He’s also the all-time leading scorer for the Detroit Lions, a franchise so cursed that their logo should be a gravestone. For a few years in Detroit, Prater was the only thing keeping the scoreboard from crying. He kicked so many field goals there that the stadium PA announcer probably just had a pre-recorded tape of “and it’s good.”

Buffalo Bills' Matt Prater, 41, Talks Game-Winning Field Goal

The Verdict: Better Than You Think, But Not Quite There

Here’s the honest truth, served with a side of humor: Matt Prater will probably not get into the Hall of Fame. The voters have a blind spot for kickers that’s bigger than my Uncle Bob’s conspiracy theory collection. But should he? It’s closer than you think. If you compare him to Vinatieri (four Super Bowls, the greatest clutch kicker ever), Prater looks like a sad footnote. But compared to Stenerud (a pioneer who kicked straight-on like a caveman), Prater is statistically superior in both accuracy and range. He’s the Kurt Cobain of kickers—immensely talented, but overshadowed by the legends who played the same game better at the highest moments.

Let’s put it this way: if the Hall of Fame had a “Kickers’ Wing,” Prater would be the first bronze bust installed. But since it’s a real museum with cranky voters, he’ll likely end up as a “Hall of Very Good” inductee, right next to “Phil Dawson’s Beard” and “That One Guy Who Made a 63-Yard Kick in the Snow.”

So raise a glass to Matt Prater: the man who kicked a football so far that the ghost of ancient Rome should be impressed. He’s not a Hall of Famer, but he’s the most entertaining argument you’ll ever have while folding laundry. And honestly? That might be a greater legacy than any gold jacket.