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Published on 03/05/2012 at Mon Mar 05 13:08.
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Broncos place franchise tag on Matt Prater, will negotiate long-term contract

Posted Mon Mar 5th by

Matt Prater

Matt Prater and Britton Colquitt in 2010 (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Confirming an earlier report, the Denver Broncos placed their franchise tag on kicker Matt Prater today, extending the would-be free agent’s contract through 2012.

“He is a very talented kicker and an important part of our team,” Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said in a statement. “This gives us the ability to continue working on a long-term agreement with Matt.”

A long-term deal isn’t a bad idea; Prater has excelled in his six years with the Broncos. He currently ranks second in team history in field goal percentage (80.4% / 90-of-112), just behind franchise leader Jason Elam (80.6% / 395-of-490).

But most impressive is Prater’s clutch play. In 2011, he made four game-winning field goals and connected on 30-of-30 extra-point attempts. He owns the NFL’s best field goal percentage from 50 or more yards since 1970 (75.0% / 12-of-16) and has converted on 28-of-29 (.966) career field goals in the fourth quarter or overtime.

The Broncos rewarded Prater’s production with a top-dollar contract — a one-year deal that averages the salaries of the NFL’s top five kickers. Now they need to reward him with a deal that will keep him in Denver long-term.

  • Anonymous

    Like a young Jason Elam, this is a guy we needed to keep. I wish we would have extended before it hit this point, but hey, I can’t complain that we spent $2.6MM for one of, if not the best kicker in the league.

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

     Agreed.

  • Anonymous

    Per my earlier post they haven’t resigned him because everyone is waiting to see what the “market” is for kickers this year, there are several that were about to be free agents and got tagged, once one of these teams resigns a kicker then you will see an avalanche of contracts.

  • Anonymous

    No matter who our kicker is in 2013, The Broncos will have to spend more than they want (he’s a kicker after all), and Prater will make less than he wants (he’s a kicker after all); but I gotta tell ya, I hope that all happens here.  Having a consistent kicker is a very under-rated thing.   There are three phases to the game, and Prater makes two thirds of that one third much stronger.  By that math, a little under 3M per will shore up a substantial portion of 22% of your needs in an average game.  Sounds like a great value to me!

  • Anonymous

    I’ve always been confused as to why kickers aren’t paid more. I mean, I understand that they don’t play but for a few times a game, however, those few times in the game are usually what wins/loses the game. They don’t have anything to do with how the team got into position for them to kick a fg, but we know how important fgs are to this sport and to a team winning or losing.

    The Broncos are in a tough spot. I’m sure they would love to pay Prater $3MM per year, but they also know that they can’t, if only because that will set a precedent for kickers to start getting paid more and more money, until, they are tied with other starting positions on the team. If that happens, then it’s gonna be bad news for the NFL as the salary structure just can’t handle that added perception of “entitlement” so to say.

    Even though games often end up getting either won or lost on the leg of a kicker, I think that there is just too much pressure from other clubs and probably players, to keep teams from spending large money on kickers. I don’t envy the NFL or the teams in this situation. Kickers want to be paid more, cause they know that they are probably responsible for more wins than the $7MM per year WR, or the $7MM per year RB or the $12MM per year QB, HOWEVER, owners know that without those aforementioned players, the kickers aren’t getting into position to kick a FG, which is why they will be reluctant to pay the kicker high money (relatively speaking, as I’d love $2.6MM/year personally).

  • Anonymous

    Per play…kickers make damn good money, they know it, Owners know it and nobody is complaining.  Annually their pay increases and everybody is waiting to see what that increase should be.