The Bengals may not need many late-game kicks this season if their new-look, under-center offense is doing its job and draining the clock. But when Cincinnati does need a leg to settle things, Evan McPherson is still the name they’re trusting.
That confidence has been backed up by everything McPherson has shown since camp opened. He reportedly didn’t miss a kick in training camp, then carried that touch into the preseason by going 8-for-8 on field goals and 7-for-7 on extra points. For a kicker entering the penultimate year of a second contract that hasn’t fully matched the early hype, it’s a strong stretch at exactly the right time.
The numbers have caught up to the eye test, too. In Adam Fromal’s preseason Kick Value Added rankings on FanSided.com, McPherson landed at No. 5 with a 4.34 KVA score. Fromal wrote:
"Evan McPherson often goes overlooked in discussions about the game's best kickers, likely because his inconsistency can sometimes mask the overwhelmingly positive nature of his overall numbers. But the Cincinnati Bengals specialist looked quite consistent throughout the preseason, perhaps benefiting from a year of continuity with punter/holder Ryan Rehkow and long-snapper William Wagner."
That continuity has been a real theme around McPherson. KVA, as Fromal explained in an earlier breakdown, is built to measure the value a kicker actually adds or costs compared with league expectations from the same distances. In other words, it gives proper weight to the hard kicks and doesn’t treat every miss or make the same.
And McPherson has been delivering the kind of kicks that stand out no matter how you slice them. The biggest one came at Paycor Stadium in early August, when he drilled a 65-yard field goal to finish a Bengals practice.
Bengals win (practice)!
Evan McPherson ends practice with a 65-yard field goal.
Room to spare. #Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/II6JzB43ZH
- Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) August 8, 2026
The help around him matters, too. Rehkow and Wagner have drawn their share of credit for making the operation smooth, and McPherson has said earlier in camp that their work lets him focus on his own job without worrying about the snap or the hold. Wagner, an undrafted rookie out of Michigan last year, won the long snapper job over Cal Adomitis during camp and has continued to impress since.
McPherson’s preseason stock is climbing in more than one place. In FanSided’s overall kicker power rankings, he’s listed 12th.
If he gets back to the form he showed as a rookie, when he was knocking down clutch kicks on the way to a Super Bowl LVI appearance, there’s a clear path for him to move higher. That’s especially true after he already rebounded from a down 2024 season by making 25 of 28 field goal attempts last year.
In Other News...
Andrei Iosivas Brings An Unexpected Off-Field Twist Into Bengals Opener
As the Bengals turn the page toward their Week 1 meeting with the Buccaneers, Andrei Iosivas is sounding eager for the start of a season that carries more weight than just an opener. The second-year receiver, drafted by Cincinnati in 2023 and under a four-year contract, also added to the early conversation around the team by talking about the kind of runway the Bengals believe they have this year, with Super Bowl aspirations part of the backdrop.
There is, meanwhile, an unexpected off-field wrinkle tied to the game itself. Gia Duddy is heading to Greece for a friends wedding and may not be around for Cincinnatis matchup in Tampa Bay, a small but notable subplot as the Bengals begin their season with plenty of attention already on the roster and its bigger-picture goals. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Face A Tougher Opener Than Expected
The Bengals season opener against Tampa Bay picked up a little more sting this week with the return of Emeka Egbuka to full practice. The Buccaneers wide receiver had been slowed by a toe injury, but his availability now looks headed in the right direction for Week 1, giving Tampa Bay another healthy option as it tries to get its offense rolling right away.
For Cincinnati, it adds another wrinkle to a first game that already had the feel of a useful early test. Egbuka flashed promise as a rookie before injuries interrupted his run, and getting him back on the field gives the Buccaneers a player they clearly believe can matter. The Bengals will still be waiting to see how real that threat becomes once the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Lewis Sees One Real Edge For These Bengals
Marvin Lewis showed up at Bengals practice ahead of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and liked what he saw about where the franchise is headed. The former Cincinnati head coach pointed to the teams offensive talent, the additions on defense and the overall continuity in the building as reasons he believes the Bengals can put themselves in position to chase the AFC North in 2026.
Lewis also noted that the division is not standing still, with changes coming in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, but he seemed to think Cincinnati has a real edge if it keeps its core together and keeps building around it. He even singled out Dexter Lawrence as part of the defensive mix that gives the Bengals more hope than they had a year ago, though the real test, as always, will come once the games start and the standings begin to sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]