Cameron Dicker of the Los Angeles Chargers made history on Thursday night by successfully executing the NFL’s first fair-catch kick in 48 years, connecting from 57 yards just before halftime against the Denver Broncos.
The Chargers capitalized on a rare play known as the fair-catch kick, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt a free kick for three points. The kick is taken from the line of scrimmage, with defenders required to stand at least 10 yards away. This obscure rule is seldom utilized, as teams rarely find themselves in a position to attempt it. In fact, only five teams had tried the fair-catch kick in the 21st century, and the last successful attempt was by Ray Wersching of the San Diego Chargers in 1976.
Dicker’s impressive 57-yard kick also set a new record for the longest fair-catch kick in NFL history, surpassing Paul Hornung’s 52-yarder for the Green Bay Packers in 1964. The opportunity arose when Denver’s Tremon Smith committed fair-catch interference during what would have been the last play of the first half, allowing the Chargers to advance the ball from their own 38 to the Denver 47 for an untimed down. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh called a timeout before opting to attempt the fair-catch kick, marking only the second time he has done so in his NFL coaching career.
With J.K. Scott holding the ball, Dicker confidently sent the kick through the uprights.
The last fair-catch kick attempted in the NFL occurred in 2019, when Carolina’s Joey Slye missed from 60 yards in a game held in London. Harbaugh had previously attempted a fair-catch kick with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, but Phil Dawson missed from 71 yards just before halftime.
Such plays are exceedingly rare, as most fair catches happen well outside of typical field goal range. The Broncos’ punt would have left the Chargers beyond Dicker’s range, but Smith’s penalty created a unique opportunity that Dicker capitalized on.
Wersching, who played for the Chargers and 49ers during his 15-season NFL career, last executed a fair-catch kick on November 21, 1976, making a 45-yarder as time expired in the first half for San Diego.
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