The best kickers can get the ball where you need it when it counts. Luckily, you don’t need to look far since Madden NFL 26 singled out the best 10.
The game-winning kick is an iconic moment, but the kicker’s job is also dependent on the offense’s ability to get into range, usually led by the team’s top Quarterbacks and the hard work of the Offensive Linemen, and also relies on a solid holder and long snapper, and the precision of the Punters. Several top 10 players weren’t heavily publicized before this. For them, info is scarce, but we can still sketch a basic profile, and luckily, their stats give useful data.
Madden NFL 26 – Best Kickers
10 – Daniel Carlson
- OVR: 78
- SPD: 71
- STR: 52
- AGI: 60
- COD: 45
- INJ: 91
- AWR: 65
Daniel Carlson, born in 1995, is a placekicker for the Las Vegas Raiders. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and has also been with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders. Carlson is of Swedish descent and is from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was the NFL’s top scorer in both 2020 and 2021.
9 – Cairo Santos
- OVR: 78
- SPD: 72
- STR: 33
- AGI: 66
- COD: 51
- INJ: 80
- AWR: 65
Cairo Santos, born in 1991, is a placekicker for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave, where he was an All-American and won the Lou Groza Award in 2012. Santos has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and Tennessee Titans before returning to the Bears.
He is a Brazilian expatriate and one of the few Brazilian players in football. Santos is from Limeira, Brazil, and St. Augustine, Florida.
8 – Nick Folk
- OVR: 79
- SPD: 67
- STR: 59
- AGI: 55
- COD: 43
- INJ: 85
- AWR: 68
Nick Folk is a placekicker who played college football for the Arizona Wildcats. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2007 NFL draft.
Folk has played for the New York Jets, where he is currently on the active roster. He was one of the NFL’s top scorers in 2021.
7 – Jason Myers
- OVR: 79
- SPD: 69
- STR: 43
- AGI: 47
- COD: 45
- INJ: 85
- AWR: 67
Jason Myers is a placekicker who played college football for the Marist Red Foxes. He is currently a player for the Seattle Seahawks.
Myers was also one of the NFL’s leading scorers in 2022. We’ll see if he can make it again this season.
6 – Chase McLaughlin
- OVR: 79
- SPD: 73
- STR: 39
- AGI: 64
- COD: 50
- INJ: 81
- AWR: 66
Chase McLaughlin, born in 1996, is a placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and has been on multiple NFL teams,.
His teams include the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets, before joining the Browns and then the Buccaneers. He is from Cypress, Texas.
5 – Cameron Dicker
- OVR: 79
- SPD: 76
- STR: 51
- AGI: 63
- COD: 57
- INJ: 91
- AWR: 64
Cameron Dicker, born in 2000, is a placekicker for the Los Angeles Chargers. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and has also been with the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Dicker has ties to Hong Kong and Shanghai, making him a notable Chinese player in football. He is from Austin, Texas, and attended Lake Travis High School. He currently wears number 11 for the Chargers.
4 – Ka’imi Fairbairn
- OVR: 80
- SPD: 79
- STR: 39
- AGI: 64
- COD: 53
- INJ: 82
- AWR: 67
Kaʻimi Fairbairn, born in 1994, is a placekicker for the Houston Texans. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, where he was an All-American and won the Lou Groza Award in 2015.
Fairbairn is of Native Hawaiian descent and is considered a Pacific Islander American athlete. He is from Honolulu County, Hawaii, and attended Punahou School. He wears number 15 for the Texans.
3 – Harrison Butker
- OVR: 82
- SPD: 74
- STR: 44
- AGI: 54
- COD: 46
- INJ: 86
- AWR: 70
Harrison Butker, born in 1995, is a placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and previously played for the Carolina Panthers.
Butker is known as both a 21st-century American athlete and a traditionalist Catholic. He is from Decatur, Georgia, and attended The Westminster Schools. He wears number 7 for the Chiefs.
2 – Chris Boswell
- OVR: 85
- SPD: 73
- STR: 44
- AGI: 62
- COD: 53
- INJ: 89
- AWR: 74
Chris Boswell is a placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, born in 1991. He played college football for the Rice Owls and had stints with the Houston Texans and New York Giants before joining the Steelers.
Boswell has been chosen for the American Conference Pro Bowl and was the NFL’s leading scorer in 2024. Being number 2 means a lot of eyes are on him, hopefully he makes his team proud.
1 – Brandon Aubrey
- OVR: 87
- SPD: 82
- STR: 49
- AGI: 74
- COD: 62
- INJ: 88
- AWR: 71
Brandon Aubrey is a placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys, born in 1995. Before switching to football, he had a professional soccer career, playing as a central defender for Toronto FC and Bethlehem Steel FC, as well as college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After transitioning to football, he played for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL before joining the Cowboys.
Aubrey has been selected for the National Conference Pro Bowl and was the NFL’s top scorer in 2023. He is known as a 21st-century American athlete and comes from Plano, Texas. He’s the top Kicker to look out for in Madden NFL 26.
