Commanders Sign Kicker Matt Gay to Record Contract

ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have signed kicker Matt Gay to a historic one-year contract valued at over $4.25 million fully guaranteed, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday. This deal marks the largest fully guaranteed sum for a kicker on a one-year contract in NFL history.

Gay, 31, can earn up to an additional $5 million in incentives during the 2025 season. He was released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month, where he had played for two seasons. At the time of his signing with the Colts in 2023, Gay was the highest-paid kicker in the league.

“This is a big opportunity for me to contribute to a new team,” Gay said following the announcement of the deal. “I’m excited to be part of the Commanders’ plans moving forward.”

Before joining the Colts, Gay was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of the University of Utah. He was waived by Tampa Bay during training camp in 2020 but later joined the Colts’ practice squad. The Los Angeles Rams then signed him off that practice squad in November 2020.

In his time with Indianapolis, Gay performed well, making 31 of 37 field goal attempts in 2024, which amounts to an 83.8 percent success rate. He also converted all 33 extra point attempts during that season.

As the Commanders move forward, they released previous kicker Zane Gonzalez to make room for Gay. Gonzalez joined Washington mid-season in 2024 and completed 5 of 7 field goals but struggled from long distance.

With Gay’s proven track record, the Commanders hope his addition will enhance their special teams performance significantly. The team already looks forward to what he will bring to the field in the upcoming season.