Matt Gay

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	FG%
Career		83	84.3%
2025		12	73.9%
2024		16	83.8%
2023		17	80.5%
2022		17	93.3%
2021

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Las Vegas Raiders got a C Contract Value Index out of the Matt Gay signing because the guaranteed money matches the production tier. At $1.6M AAV on a one-year deal, Gay's contract is appropriately scaled for a replacement-level kicker—serviceable but unremarkable, with a 2025 season that saw him appear in 12 games without standout accuracy or consistency issues. The kicker market doesn't command premium dollars for solid-but-unspectacular performers, and this deal reflects that reality; Gay earns what a seven-year veteran with a D+ performance grade should earn. At 32 years old and in his seventh season, Gay is past his developmental arc and locked into a floor role—he's unlikely to prove the bargain of the offseason or become a liability, but he's also unlikely to meaningfully swing roster value either way. Media consensus frames this as a sideways move replacing one competent kicker with another, and the Raiders' recent transactions suggest organizational belt-tightening rather than aggressive roster construction, which contextualizes why a one-year, low-commitment deal makes sense. The lack of guaranteed money beyond the AAV minimizes downside risk, though it also signals that Las Vegas views Gay as short-term depth rather than a long-term asset—exactly the kind of placeholder signing that delivers steady, workmanlike value without creating much upside or downside cap exposure.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Matt's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Matt Gay delivers production that earns a D+ performance grade against PK comps. At 32 years old with seven seasons of NFL experience, Gay is a veteran depth piece whose accuracy metrics and consistency fall below what competitive rosters demand from the kicking position. His 2025 season appearance in 12 games provided adequate but unremarkable output—the kind of replacement-level reliability that keeps a team from losing games on special teams rather than winning them through clutch execution. The core issue is straightforward: Gay brings proven NFL experience and respectable technical competence, but nothing approaching the elite consistency that separates franchise kickers from fungible backups. Media coverage accurately frames this as a sideways personnel move, with the Raiders opting for familiar stability over Daniel Carlson rather than addressing a positional weakness through upgrade. At this stage of his career, Gay projects as a league-average contributor who will execute the routine kicks and miss the critical ones at roughly the rate expected from a solid-but-unspectacular starter—exactly the ceiling-limited production that a 3-14 team in rebuilding mode can ill afford to depend upon.

How Matt Compares at the Position

Matt Gay ranks 30th of 39 graded pks by performance. That slots Matt between Zane Gonzalez (D+) just ahead and Blake Grupe (D+) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

The Raiders' decision to sign Matt Gay has generated a lukewarm reception from both media and fans, earning a B- sentiment grade that reflects the polarized nature of the move. Multiple outlets have characterized this as a lateral transaction, questioning the front office's logic in replacing Daniel Carlson with another solid but unspectacular kicker. Gay brings proven NFL experience and respectable accuracy to Las Vegas, which media coverage acknowledges as competent roster management rather than an upgrade. The fanbase remains split on the decision, with many expressing preference for retaining Carlson over making what appears to be a sideways move. This signing projects to deliver steady, workmanlike production from the kicking position—exactly the type of replacement-level transaction that generates more questions than excitement in today's NFL.