Former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Matthew Wright might be the ultimate NFL mercenary, and he claimed a feat not many can claim this week with the Washington Commanders .
Wright, a 29-year-old Lancaster, Pa., native, signed with the Commanders on Monday, played in a game for Washington on Monday night, and was released on Tuesday.
His one-day stint with the Commanders now means that Wright has played for 10 NFL teams in his seven-year NFL career, and he's had multiple stints with many of them.
Wright filled in for usual Washington kicker Matt Gay , who was ruled out late in the week with a back injury. The journeyman backup kicked off twice and made one extra point in a 28-7 Commanders loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Matthew Wright during OTAs on May 28, 2019. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Wright first joined the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of UCF in 2019. He tried to play in the XFL, but was cut. In 2020, he re-joined Steelers' practice squad, as the team kept an extra specialist of each position available thanks to the COVID-19 roster restrictions.
In that season, he spent three games on the active roster, replacing Chris Boswell and kicking four field goals and seven extra points.
In 2021, with the COVID restrictions behind them, and Boswell healthy, the Steelers again released Wright, sending him on a whirlwind journey around the NFL.
Wright signed wit the Detroit Lions in January 2021. He was released in August and signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster and spent the remainder of the season as Jacksonville's regular kicker.
Despite that, he lost his job in 2022. Wright was waived in May and remained unsigned until joining the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in September. He was elevated for two games, replacing Harrison Butker , and then signed by the Steelers for a third time, off the Kansas City practice squad, after a Boswell injury. He was released after four games and re-signed with Kansas City. Wright was cut by the Chiefs on Jan. 30, narrowly missing out on winning a Super Bowl.
Pittsburgh Steelers Kicker Matthew Wright in a game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 28, 2022. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
In 2023, Wright spent the preseason with the Carolina Panthers , spent five days on the San Francisco 49ers in September, five days with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in November, which was immediately followed by eight days on the New England Patriots practice squad. He re-joined the Panthers on Jan. 2, kicking in a Week 18 game, and missing his only field goal attempt.
Despite almost no chance of making the team over Boswell, Wright re-joined the Steelers for the offseason program, training camp and preseason in 2024, citing his ongoing relationship with Boswell, Christian Kuntz and Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
"The relationship with Danny is great," Wright said . "I mean, Christian and Boswell have been here for a while so I know them real well. Mostly, Danny, the familiarity, he knows that I can kick well and I know that I like it here and that I will be able to do well here. … "There's just something to being on a team, just knowing that I am everyday snap, hold, kick in front of coaches and that I am working everyday."
After his predictable release at the end of training camp, Wright filled in for injured San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody , making three extra points and three field goals in one game, but injured his shoulder and back and was placed on injured reserve.
Wright returned to health in late November and joined the Kansas City Chiefs for a third stint after injuries to Butker and Spencer Shrader . He played in two games for Kansas City, bouncing a kick in off the uprights to clinch the AFC West in his second and final game before Butker returned.
He then signed with the Tennessee Titans , replacing Nick Folk over the final two games of the season.
Wright signed with the Carolina Panthers for a second time in February, and was released in August.
He re-joined the Titans practice squad for nine days in October, playing in one game and making his only field goal before being released once again, setting up his one-day sojourn with D.C. this week.
All told in his career, Wright has played in 31 NFL games, made 56 of 64 field goals and 43 of 45 extra points, has been on the roster of 10 teams, played games for seven of them, and has been cut 20 times.
With kickers able to play well into their 40s, and Wright only 29, he's on pace to play for every NFL team before he hangs up his cleats.
Of course, he'd probably rather that someone just let him be their full-time kicker.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Journeyman Former Steelers Kicker Pulls Off Amazing Feat
Related Headlines
