Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has the answer to why fans are seeing so many long field goals in the 2025 NFL season. New rules allowing kickers more time to prepare the balls they use during games are leading to more points on the scoreboard.
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There have been 16 kicks of 55 yards or more in the first four weeks of the 2025 season. There were 28 of the same distance or greater all of last season.
“We gave up a 65-yard field goal and a 58-yard field goal (on Sunday),” Fangio said. “These kicking balls that they changed this year have drastically changed the kicking game, field goals in particular. So it’s almost like they need an asterisk here.”
What are the new rules doing for kickers?
Fangio wasn’t asked about the long field goals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit against his Eagles on Sunday. He offered up the commentary unprompted during his Tuesday press conference, comparing the big kicks this season to the late 90s steroid era in Major League Baseball.
“It was the live ball era or the asterisk for those home runs [Barry] Bonds and [Sammy] Sosa and [Mark] McGwire were hitting.” Fangio said. “The way they’ve changed the ball. The NFL has drastically changed the field goals.”
The numbers show that Fangio may have a point. There have been 16 kicks of 55 yards or more in the first four weeks of the 2025 season, according to the database TeamRankings.com. There were 28 kicks of 55 yards or longer all of last season, and 22 of the same distance or longer made during the 2023 season. The NFL record for the longest-made field goal is 66 yards by former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
The new rules prohibit NFL teams from changing the kicking ball’s dimensions, material or how it’s inflated. Previously, the NFL provided teams with three new kicking balls shortly before the game. This year, the NFL gave every team 60 kicking balls at the start of the year, giving the team unlimited time to break them in. Teams then provide three specially marked kicking balls per game, per the NFL rule book.
How does keeping the balls in-house help?
Fangio says the fact that kickers and team equipment personnel can inspect, rub down and practice with the game balls during the week has made all the difference.
“Now the balls are in-house all week, and they kick those balls that they’ve had, and nobody else touches them.” Fangio said. “The guy in Dallas is going to hit a 70-plus yarder this year. You can just book it.”
Fangio is referring to Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey, who kicked a 65-yarder last season, the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history, which was tied by Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin against the Eagles on Sunday. Michael Clay, Philly’s special teams coordinator, also confirmed the new procedures used by his kickers and said it is definitely helping.
“We just get to work on it a little bit longer than we used to,” Clay said. “We used to only have an hour; now we get the whole week to fill it in, the kickers get to pick what ball they feel pretty good about. You only get six balls — if you lose one of them, or it gets scuffed up and the NFL deems it not playable, then it’s out. You just gotta make sure those balls are primed and ready to go come Sunday.”
When asked if the impact of the new rules was good for the game, Clay responded with a smile, “Didn’t the NFL want more points? There it is.”
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