The Las Vegas Raiders have made a headline-grabbing move to kick off the 2026 NFL free agency period, inking veteran kicker Matt Gay to a deal that signals a changing of the guard in the Silver and Black’s special teams unit. The signing, which took place on March 9, 2026, marks the end of Daniel Carlson’s notable eight-season tenure with the franchise, leaving only left tackle Kolton Miller and punter A.J. Cole as the last remaining Oakland-era Raiders.
Gay, who turns 32 next week, brings a wealth of experience—and a bit of a roller-coaster track record—to Las Vegas. Originally drafted in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Utah in 2019, Gay has played for five different NFL teams in seven seasons, including stints with the Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, and San Francisco 49ers. His career journey has been anything but dull, and now he’s set to take on the pressure-packed role of Raiders kicker just as the franchise continues to reshape its roster.
In 2025, Gay split his season between the Commanders and the 49ers, appearing in a total of 13 games for Washington and four for San Francisco. His performance was a mixed bag: he converted 17 of 23 field goal attempts, good for a 73.9 percent success rate, and was perfect on all 26 extra point tries. Notably, six of his missed field goals came from beyond 50 yards, but he still managed to hit three from that distance, showing off his leg strength even as consistency remained elusive. Only one of his misses was from inside 50 yards—a detail that puts his overall accuracy into perspective.
Gay’s career field goal percentage currently sits at 84.3 percent (182-of-216), and he’s made 96.7 percent of his extra points, including a flawless record in 2025. His best years came during his three-season run with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020 to 2022, where he connected on 92.5 percent of his field goals and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. That same year, he played a pivotal role as the Rams captured the Super Bowl, a campaign that saw him go 12-for-15 on field goals from beyond 50 yards. Importantly, Raiders special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis was on staff with the Rams during Gay’s peak, providing a clear connection and perhaps some inside knowledge about what Gay can bring to the table.
The move comes after a whirlwind few years for Gay. After his initial stint with Tampa Bay, he was waived during camp in the second year of his rookie contract and landed on the Colts’ practice squad. The Rams snatched him from Indianapolis in November 2020, where he quickly established himself as one of the league’s more reliable kickers. He later returned to the Colts in free agency, signing a four-year, $22.5 million deal—the highest free agent contract for a kicker at the time. However, after two seasons and with $4.75 million base salaries due in each of the final two years, the Colts let him go this past offseason.
Gay then signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $4.25 million deal with the Washington Commanders, but his stay was short-lived. After being cut in mid-November following a 13-for-19 start on field goals, he joined the 49ers, where he was perfect on eight attempts before being released upon Eddy Pineiro’s return. It’s been a winding road, but now Gay lands in Las Vegas with a chance to stabilize a position that’s been a relative strength in recent years.
That brings us to Daniel Carlson, the man Gay is replacing. Carlson, who joined the Raiders in 2018, leaves behind an impressive legacy. In 2025, he went 22-of-27 on field goals (81.5 percent) and 21-of-22 on extra points, maintaining a career field goal percentage of 86.9 percent and a 95.7 percent extra point rate. He set his career-long with a 60-yard field goal last season and, by all accounts, was a popular presence in the locker room, forging a close relationship with All-Pro punter A.J. Cole. Despite his reliability, Carlson’s performance inside 50 yards dipped slightly in recent seasons, missing four field goals from that range and three extra points over the past two years. As of now, he remains a free agent with his future destination yet to be determined.
The decision to sign Gay has sparked debate among fans and analysts alike. Some view it as a calculated risk by general manager John Spytek, who’s otherwise had a strong offseason. As one local columnist put it, "It just doesn’t make sense, unless the Raiders plan on using Gay as a placeholder for now and bringing in a rookie as competition. But there would also be little reason to sign Gay on the first day of free agency at that point." The sentiment reflects a broader skepticism: while Gay’s resume includes a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring, his inconsistency—particularly since 2022, when he last topped an 84 percent field goal rate—raises questions about whether he can deliver in the clutch for Las Vegas.
From the front office’s perspective, the move may be about more than just numbers. With Joe DeCamillis reuniting with Gay, there’s a level of trust and familiarity that can’t be quantified on a stat sheet. "That’s the connection in Las Vegas," one report noted, hinting that DeCamillis’ influence may have tipped the scales in Gay’s favor. Still, the Raiders could look to the draft for additional competition at kicker, especially with several promising prospects expected to be available in the later rounds.
Financial details of Gay’s contract have not yet been disclosed, but it’s clear that the Raiders are betting on his experience and big-game pedigree to carry them through what could be a transitional season. Whether Gay becomes a steady presence or simply the first in a series of new faces at the position remains to be seen. As the dust settles on the opening day of free agency, all eyes in Raider Nation will be on special teams—a unit suddenly under the microscope.
With a new kicker in town and a beloved veteran moving on, the Raiders are embracing change. The coming months will reveal whether this gamble pays off or if Las Vegas finds itself searching for answers at one of football’s most pressure-packed positions.