The life of an NFL kicker is one without a lot of job security. Nowhere is that more apparent right now than at Jacksonville Jaguars' headquarters.
On Tuesday, the struggling Jaguars (1-7) signed Chase McLaughlin, who will be their sixth kicker this season when he gets the nod against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.
McLaughlin was on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad. Kickers typically don't get drafted and usually are not signed to long-term NFL contracts. With the exception of a few elite kickers and proven veterans, many kickers bounce around the league as short-term replacements for their injured kicking brethren. Or if they begin the season as a team's No. 1 kicker, they can lose their job with just one bad game or one particularly big missed kick.
McLaughlin is more on the journeyman side than the, say, Justin Tucker side.
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NFL Free Agency: The Jaguars have been through a Rolodex of kickers
McLaughlin be replacing Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo, who suffered a hip injury in the Jaguars' loss to the Houston Texans in Week 9. Lambo was placed on the injured reserve list.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have also had kickers Brandon Wright, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka and Jon Brown on the roster this season. Brown and Rosas are still on Jacksonville's practice squad, and Brown will reportedly be called up in the event that McLaughlin can't join the team after going through COVID-19 protocols.
Rosas just re-joined the Jaguars on Monday after serving a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Rosas was involved in a hit-and-run auto accident over the summer, then pleaded no-contest to charges that included leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license. Rosas was given three years' probation.
McLaughlin is an Illinois product who was an All-Big Ten performer in college. After going undrafted in 2019, McLaughlin has been with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Vikings.
The 24-year-old has made 18 of 23 field goals in his NFL career (78.3 percent) and a perfect 26-of-26 on extra points. He's made two 50-yard field goals.
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