The Washington Commanders still had some needs to fill before preparations for the 2025 campaign gathered pace. Adam Peters solved one major issue with a genius move that nobody saw coming.
Peters' roster tweaks weren't going to end after the 2025 NFL Draft. The Commanders only had five picks, so there was always going to be some additional refinement to the playing personnel. Fortunately for the front-office leader, there was more than $26 million in available salary-cap space to purge the remaining veteran pool for an instant difference-maker or two.
According to Tom Pelissero from the NFL Network, which was later confirmed by local beat writers, the Commanders have done a U-turn at the kicking position with a historic contract.
Commanders place large wager on Matt Gay with historic free-agent contract
The insider revealed that the Commanders have signed Matt Gay to a deal with $4.25 million fully guaranteed. This is the largest guarantee ever given to a kicker in league history, signing a one-year contract.
Inevitably, this spelled the end of Zane Gonzalez's time in Washington. The Commanders reportedly released the player despite giving the former seventh-round pick a new deal. It's another example of Peters stopping at nothing to improve the squad, but the money allocated means Gay is under enormous pressure to make an imposing contribution when called upon.
Gay boasts a career field goal percentage of 85.5, with 96.3% of his extra points going through the uprights. He's also got a bigger leg than Gonzalez, although the former fifth-round selection only managed to hit three of nine attempts from beyond 50 yards with the Indianapolis Colts last time around.
There's no doubt Gay represents an upgrade on Gonzalez. The Commanders believe there'll be a substantial gap between the two from a performance standpoint looking at the money attached to their new arrival.
It's been a long time since the Commanders had a reliable kicking presence. Brandon McManus didn't last long. Austin Seibert started well but suffered an injury he couldn't recover from. Gonzalez was assured on occasion, but there was also a level of nervousness that left fans feeling uneasy.
Gay has experience as a Pro Bowl-caliber kicker and Super Bowl winner. If he can provide a level of comfort that was sorely lacking previously, the better Washington's chances of going deep into the postseason will be.
And make no mistake, the Commanders have placed a large wager on this scenario coming to fruition.