NFL kickers size up the UFL’s four-point field goal twist
ESPN reports the NFL has no current proposal, but players and coaches are debating whether 60-yard field goals should be worth four points.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
A 60-yard field goal is no longer football’s circus act, and the UFL has already put a bigger price tag on it.
ESPN reported that the NFL has no current competition committee proposal and no apparent push to copy the UFL’s four-point field goal rule. Still, the idea has caught the attention of current players, coaches and Pro Football Hall of Famers, with opinions ranging from eager to wary.
The concept is straightforward: make field goals from 60 yards or longer worth four points instead of three. The UFL tried it this year, and long-distance kicking immediately became a bigger part of the show.
According to ESPN, UFL kickers made no field goals from 60 yards or beyond in the 2025 season. In 2026, after the rule was added, they hit 8 of 14 from that distance, a 57.1% rate. The playoff numbers were cleaner: 4-for-4.
The NFL already has its own long-range boom. ESPN reported that NFL kickers attempted a record 22 field goals of at least 60 yards last season and converted 12, or 55%. That total of 12 makes was close to the 14 successful kicks from that range across the previous three seasons combined.
The kickoff rule opened the door
The NFL has recently shown a willingness to borrow from spring football. ESPN noted that the league changed its kickoff rules two seasons ago, using a dynamic kickoff structure that had been seen in the XFL, now part of the UFL.
The goal was to cut injuries and bring back returns. ESPN reported the return rate rose from 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% in 2024, then climbed to 74.5% in 2025 after more rule changes.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen told ESPN he supports the four-point field goal idea, saying, “Heck yeah, man. Let’s go,” and adding that it would “up the ante a little bit.”
Jacksonville has a clear reason to be interested. Jaguars kicker Cam Little set the NFL record last season with a 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN. He also made a 67-yarder against the Tennessee Titans, which ESPN said is the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history. A 70-yard preseason kick against the Pittsburgh Steelers did not count in the record book.
Kickers like the value, fear the weirdness
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates told ESPN the rule would be “nice” and said it made sense in the UFL because it gave teams a stronger reason to send kickers out from deep range.
Washington Commanders kicker Jake Moody compared the idea to basketball’s three-point line. ESPN noted the NBA adopted the three-pointer 12 years after the ABA introduced it in its first season in 1967. Moody said longer attempts would likely increase, and kickers would probably spend more practice time on 60-plus-yard tries.
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who ESPN said has made an NFL-record six field goals of at least 60 yards over his first three seasons, was more cautious. Aubrey told ESPN the rule could encourage teams to let drives stall in a particular area of the field and create problems for playcallers around the 50-yard line.
Aubrey said he was conflicted, liking the added value for kickers with big legs while questioning how it might bend offensive strategy.
Little also sounded unsure in his comments to ESPN. He said the rule would help kickers with stronger legs, but pointed to recent kickoff changes and said part of the NFL’s appeal is its tradition.
For now, the four-point kick remains a UFL wrinkle, not an NFL plan. The leg strength is already here. The rulebook is the part still standing at midfield.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.