The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2020 NFL Draft class may have more notoriety because of Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins being their first two picks of that class, but their 2021 haul can’t be overlooked, either.
Sure, they drafted Ja’Marr Chase at No. 6 overall that year, but it’s a 5th-round selection that is also continuing to rewrite the team’s record books.
Kicker Evan McPherson is quietly cementing himself as the best at his position in team history. After going 14-of-14 as a rookie on field goal attempts in the 2021 postseason (an NFL rookie record), McPherson has continued to up his game for the team.
Late in the Week 5 contest against the Dolphins, Cincinnati was deep in Miami territory after Jonathan Allen recovered a fumble from Malik Willis. That Bengals’ offensive drive stalled, but with just two minutes remaining, head coach Zac Taylor sent McPherson out for a field goal to ice the game, but more was at stake.
McPherson predictably hit the 26-yard field goal, placing him above former Cincinnati kicker Shayne Graham for most consecutive field goals made by a Bengals kicker. His 22 straight, dating back to last season, pushes him ahead of Graham (also his mentor and fellow Florida Gator) for the most in team history.
As noted in the tweet above, McPherson was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September after a perfect three games. He has continued that streak in October, despite the team being 1-1, and has been 5-of-5 on 50-plus-yard field-goal attempts.
Oddly enough, the record-breaker was a walk in the park compared to what McPherson was asked in prior games. That was his only attempt against the Dolphins (save for extra points), compared with five 50-plus attempts in the first three contests.
After a tough 2024 season that ended prematurely with an injury, McPherson quietly put together a great season last year. He continued that progress with an amazing preseason, and has hit kicks from 50, 57, and 58 yards so far this year, while also being perfect on extra points.
Understandably, much of both the national and local attention goes to Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and the (somewhat) previously-maligned defense performs. But McPherson is absolutely “feeling it” right now, and is a key to the Bengals’ march to the postseason.
Kudos to McPherson, and another tip of the cap to Graham, who was a good kicker for the Bengals for many years.