Raiders fans would rather have Daniel Carlson than Matt Gay

Most Las Vegas Raiders fans are very pleased with what he team has accomplished in free agency.

Yet, there was a move that didn’t make much people in the fan base pleased — the signing of kicker Matt Gay. That meant means the end of the eight-season run for the Raiders with Daniel Carlson as their kicker.

Gay been kicking in the NFL for seven years, originally breaking in with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. He spent one year in Tampa Bay before three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, making the Pro

Bowl in 2021, then two campaigns with the Indianapolis Colts before spending this past fall with the Washington Commanders (10 games) and San Francisco 49ers (two games after the Commanders released him in November).

He has a career field goal percentage of 84.3 percent (73.9 percent in 2025) with a long of 58 yards (56 yards in 2025) and has made 96.7 percent of his extra points (100 percent in ‘25). Comparatively, Carlson, a free agent, has an 86.9 career field goal percentage (81.5 percent), a long of 60 yards (which was set this past season) and 95.7 extra point rate (95.5 percent). Gay will turn 32 this week and Carlson is 31.

Gay was with Las Vegas general manager John Spytek in Tampa Bay in 2019. New Las Vegas special teams coach Joe Decamilas was his his coach with the Rams in 2021-22 and he had his best seasons there. But, four years removed from a best season is a long time for any player.

We asked our community members who they would rather have and a whopping 90 percent would rather have kept Carlson. I can’t disagree.

Here are some of your responses:

805Raider

If we get the Rams Matt Gay (our ST coach was the coach when he was there), it was the right decision – he averaged 91.65% there. However, if we get Matt Gay from all his other teams, watch out – 73.5%. Carlson has clearly been on a consistent decline, going from 94% 5 years ago to 81% last year. Not sure if McDumbass getting rid of Seig had anything to with it, but he’s definitely been on a downward trajectory. Hopefully the contract is not guaranteed and we still bring in competition.

RaidersDoc

Depends on the cost. If equal, Carlson.

10silver

Like others have mentioned here, we should draft a kicker with a late pick. Carlson wasn’t clutch last season. I feel like the placements of his kickoffs can be better too. Also, he doesn’t seem to have any tricks kicks for onside kicks either. Maybe he just had a bad year last season. Maybe we can keep him for a reasonable contract. Maybe Matt Gay was signed with no guarantees and just for training camp competition.

Njccc

Carlson. Total rebuild situation but the way they are building so far, there’s a much better chance both sides of the ball have a shot to click at some point. Maybe even early. Defense was like a blank canvas (had some players before like Porter, Chinn, Eichie) when this started, but now the secondary and LB group/EDGE are flush with solid veteran players. DT group still needs work, but we do have the two rookies from last year who are like rookies this year since neither played much.

We still have some to spend in FA and draft cap out the ass so could find DT’s there, too. O was further along and they added a really good interior OL to the mix. A WR who is a deep threat going by his production, y/a to Tre, Bowers, Mayer. Jeanty. Will have the QB, already have a backup candidate in AO. Suddenly, there’s more to be hopeful about on both sides, so a K is always important. But if you are actually competitive more so in games, even more so. That said, Gay is not totally terrible in the seasons where he kicked more.