How much does a long snapper make in the NFL?

When field goals, punts or extra points are attempted, a specialist called a long snapper or a deep snapper is situated in the middle of the football field.

The role of a long snapper on a special team is to snap the football as far as possible during punts and field goals, which have respective distances of 15 yards and 7-8 yards.

The snapper's role throughout the game is to either snap the ball to the holder, who is located around 8 yards away, or deliver it to the punter, who must be at least 15 yards away during punts.

Following the snap, the player joins the defensive line and is tasked with preventing the other team from gaining possession of the ball on the opposite side. A competent long snapper will hit the punter's hand accurately and at the appropriate pace.

A snapper frequently spends his entire NFL career with one team. The average snapper's career lasts roughly twice as long as the industry average in six seasons. According to Spotrac, the average yearly wage was just under $800,000, with the highest snapper pay being $1.4 million.

They are expected to snap the football with extreme quickness and precision. Individuals who are in this position must have strong muscle memory, quick reflexes and a thorough grasp of their surroundings to make wise selections when aiming.

Long snappers are an integral part of the game, but their role has only just come to be recognized. It is more typical for teams to deploy a linebacker or backup tight end as their long snapper.

Twenty years ago, the position of the long snapper was not established; instead, any NFL player would fill the role. But once Todd Thomas became well known, long snappers began to gain the respect they deserved.

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How the Pittsburgh Steelers' long snapper fiasco in 2008 led every NFL team to carry a backup long snapper

New York Giants v Pittsburgh Steelers

On October 26, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a 21-14 loss against the New York Giants just because they did not have a backup long snapper. Steelers' starting long snapper Greg Warren tore his ACL during the game with only three minutes left in the third quarter.

Like most teams back then, the Steelers also had only one long snapper and used players from another position as their emergency backup.

They had a fourth-and-22 at their own 18-yard line with seven minutes left in the game and a two-point advantage. James Harrison, the backup who had never performed this role in a game before, had no option but to be brought out. He ended up missing a goal as his snap went a full 28 yards in the wrong direction.

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Later, Giants QB Eli Manning led the game-winning touchdown drive right after the free kick and won the game in the most exciting fashion. After the game, NFL teams took a lesson and have since focused on acquiring talented long snappers.