Commanders Move On From Matt Gay, Marking Eighth Kicker Under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters
The Washington Commanders have released kicker Matt Gay, continuing a season-long search for stability at the position and marking the eighth kicker the team has cycled through since the arrivals of head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters.
ESPN’s John Keim reported the move on Monday. Quinn said the decision was about performance over time rather than a single game. “The performance, you’ve got to have it,” Quinn said. “We wanted it to work long term with Matt. It wasn’t about one game.”
Gay went 13-for-19 on field goals this season and struggled from long range, finishing 4-for-9 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Both of his misses in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins came from beyond 50 yards.
With Gay’s release, Washington has now moved through a long list of kickers in less than a full season. The group includes Brandon McManus, Ramiz Ahmed, Riley Patterson, Cade York, Austin Seibert, Zane Gonzalez, and Gay. Notably, Patterson is now the Dolphins’ kicker and made the game-winning kick against Washington on Sunday.
Washington has not yet signed a replacement kicker and now enters its bye week without one on the roster. The team is expected to evaluate available options before returning to play.
