NFL kickers are buzzing about a huge potential rule change: the UFL’s 4-point field goal, awarded for kicks from over 60 yards out. This isn’t just some pipe dream either. The UFL adopted the rule ahead of their 2026 season, and it paid off immediately. They went from attempting zero 60-yard field goals in 2025 to making an incredible eight successful kicks from that distance last season! And get this, the NFL itself saw a massive uptick in long-range bombs, hitting a record 12 field goals from 60 yards or longer in 2025, up from just four in 2024. The debate is real.
Bring On the Bombs!
Some kickers are all in on bringing this extra point to the big league. Detroit Lions’ Jake Bates and Washington Commanders’ Jake Moody both told ESPN’s Michael DiRocco they’d be stoked for the NFL to reward those monster kicks. Bates said it’s “cool for the UFL guys” because it “makes it worth sending them out there.” He sees a lot of guys showing they can make it. Moody was even more direct, saying, “I think that’d be kind of cool. Why not? It’s like basketball, they got the 3-pointer.” You gotta admit, seeing more 60-yarders with an extra point on the line would be absolutely electric! Imagine a game-winner from 60+ to put you up by four points. Wild.
But What About the Game Itself?
Not everyone is ready to just jump in, though. Dallas Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey, who nailed three kicks from over 60 yards last season, and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Cam Little, who set an NFL record with a 68-yarder, both expressed some serious uncertainty to DiRocco. Aubrey thinks the rule would be positive for kickers, sure, but a “nightmare for the playcallers.” He’s worried it would “incentivize you to stall the drive in a certain spot” and make coaches “really, really question your playcalling around that 50-yard line area.” And Little? He’s seen too many rule changes lately, especially with kickoffs. He believes keeping some tradition is what “makes the NFL really cool.” He’s got a point, the kickoff rules have been a wild ride, with return rates jumping from 32.8 percent in 2024 to 74.5 percent in 2025, and now teams can declare an onside kick anytime.
NFL owners aren’t officially considering the 4-point field goal rule right now. But we know the UFL and its predecessors have often been a testing ground for changes that eventually hit the NFL. Remember, UFL co-owner Mike Repole actually came up with the idea after watching Aubrey himself make a 64-yard game-tying kick in Week 2 of the 2025 season! Plus, long field goals are already on the rise thanks to teams breaking in kicking balls before games, according to the AP’s Josh Dubow. Will owners brave this discussion in a future offseason? We’ll be watching to see if this “nightmare” for playcallers ever makes it to a vote.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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