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Chase McLaughlin's Long Range Success Traced Back To Adam Vinatieri
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- Chase McLaughlin's Long Range Success Traced Back To Adam Vinatieri
Chase McLaughlin has developed into one of the NFL's most reliable long-distance kickers, and he credits a future Hall of Famer for encouraging him to put in the work that made it possible. McLaughlin has said Adam Vinatieri encouraged him to regularly practice kicks from beyond 50 yards during their time together in Indianapolis .
McLaughlin has converted 43 of 51 career attempts from 50 yards or longer, an 84.3% success rate that ranks as the best in NFL history among kickers with at least 40 attempts. His work from that range reached another level in 2025, when he set an NFL record by making 11 consecutive field goals from 50 plus yards without a miss., the biggest example came in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles . With time expiring at the end of the first half, McLaughlin connected on a 65-yard field goal, setting a Buccaneers franchise record and, at the time, becoming the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history. It was also the longest kick of McLaughlin's career, surpassing his previous mark of 57 yards.
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The kick wasn't simply a product of a strong leg. McLaughlin had spent years developing the confidence to attempt those kicks, something that can be traced back to Vinatieri's encouragement. That experience has become valuable for Tampa Bay. A kicker who can realistically convert from 50, 55 or even 60-plus yards gives an offense more flexibility when a drive stalls outside the red zone. Vinatieri encouraged McLaughlin to spend more time practicing from long distance, and more than a decade later, McLaughlin has turned those extra kicks into one of the most dependable long-range weapons in the league.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Chase McLaughlin's Long Range Success Traced Back To Adam Vinatieri
