Struggling Bengals Kicker Evan McPherson Isn't Going Away in 2024, But an Out In His Contract Could Affect Future

Jay Morrison | Nov 18, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals place kicker Evan McPherson (2) lines up to kick a field goal in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers led 24-6 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – The disintegration of kicker Evan McPherson’s accuracy might be the most jarring development in a Cincinnati Bengals season full of failures.

Yes, the defense is a trainwreck, but no one expected that group to win games for the team. The hope was just that it wouldn’t lose them.

That wish, like so many of McPherson’s kicks, has been wide of the mark.

The expectation for McPherson, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million extension in August, was that he would be a weapon and a difference maker.

And he has been. Just the wrong kind. Self-inflicted wounds make a big difference.

After hitting chip shots of 26 and 27 yards in the first half on Sunday’s 34-27 road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, McPherson’s slump continued in the fourth quarter after the Bengals rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie the game.

With the score tied 27-27, McPherson missed a 48-yard attempt with 7:31 to go.

After the defense came up with an improbable fourth three-and-out of the second half to give McPherson another chance, he missed from 51 with 1:48 remaining.

“He knows to make those kicks,” frustrated wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “That's why we paid him those bucks, to make those kicks in crunch time.”

That’s how McPherson made a name – and nickname – for himself as a rookie. Money Mac was one of the most clutch kickers in the league with walk-off winners in the Divisional Round and AFC Championship Game along with two in the regular season and a game-changing, franchise-record 58-yarder right before halftime in a road win at Denver.

But McPherson is just 15 of 21 on field goals this season. That 71.4-percent success rate ranks 29th among the 32 kickers with at least 10 attempts.

FG percentages this season: pic.twitter.com/DWy9sRe3Om

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 18, 2024

Factoring in 2023 as well, McPherson is 41 of 52 (78.8 percent), which ranks 28th among 29 kickers with at least 25 attempts.

Sunday night marked just the second time in his career he’s missed multiple field goals in a game, and first since a gusty day early in his rookie season.

"We’ve got a lot of confidence in Evan,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “It just wasn't his day today."

Taylor really has no choice but to express confidence in McPherson.

Fans screaming for the team to cut him are delusional. As much as McPherson has struggled, there are no available kickers who would inspire any more confidence and there are zero with McPherson’s track record from when things were going well.

The Bengals have to stay the course.

At least through the end of this season.

They do have a potential out in his contract after 2024 that would only cost them $3.8 million in dead money, making for a savings of $6.9 million.

The next six games will be huge for McPherson if he wants to play out the three seasons remaining on his contract.

McPherson, and many of his teammates, had left the visitors locker room at SoFi Stadium by the time reporters entered after the news conferences with Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow down the hall.

But a few weeks ago following a missed 54-yarder against Philadelphia, McPherson said his confidence was still high and “there is no reason for it to be low.”

In his first two seasons, including the playoffs, McPherson was 17 of 19 from 50+ yards.

In the last two seasons, he’s 10 of 19.

Overall in 2021-22, he was 71 of 81 (87.7 percent).

Since then, he’s 41 of 52 (78.8 percent).

Taylor said not to expect the team to part ways with McPherson or make any other wholesale changes to the roster or the coaching staff during the bye week.

“I think we all watch the game. We can see it's just coming down to one play in every single game,” he said. “So why would you make a big wholesale change when it's just coming down one play? To me, that's just panic. That's not what we're about. We believe in what we're doing. We’re not going to be those people that just panic because the record is 4-7 and we start making all these significant changes. That's not what the answer is.”

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