The Arizona Cardinals will roll in 2023 with Matt Prater as their kicker. He has played two seasons for the team and re-signed in the offseason to a two-year deal.
He has had a fantastic career and in two seasons he has been pretty good.
But there are a couple of stats that might surprise you.
Check them out below.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Touchbacks and touchback percentage
Before Prater signed with the Cardinals in 2021, he had not had regular kickoff duties for years.
Between 2014-2019, he kicked off 66 times total with a high of 19 in any year.
Many wondered if he could handle kickoff duties at his age.
He could.
In his first season as a Cardinal in 2021, he set the franchise single-season record for touchbacks and touchback percentage. He had 73 touchbacks in 97 kickoffs, a rate of 75.3%.
That is the highest single-season touchback percentage in franchise history for anyone appearing in more than five games.
In 2022, he had the second-highest percentage at 69.4%.
In terms of the all-time list, he is third in total touchbacks with 107, but that is only in two seasons. He has 107 in 30 games.
The franchise all-time leader is Chandler Catanzaro with 140 touchbacks in 48 games and Neil Rackers with 113 in 100 games.
Prater’s total touchback percentage of 73.3% is the highest all-time in franchise history for anybody appearing in more than two games.
Field goals of 50-plus yards
In two seasons, Prater has made 12 field goals of at least 50 yards in 16 attempts. He has done that in 30 games.
Neil Rackers holds the franchise all-time record for field goals of at last 50 yards with 16 (in 34 attempts over 100 games).
Prater will likely set the franchise record this season.
