The Raiders’ kicking competition has quietly become one of the most interesting battles in camp, and it comes with a nickname that fits the moment: “The Tokyo Toe.”
With Daniel Carlson not brought back after serving as Las Vegas’ kicker since 2018, the Raiders are entering camp without a locked-in starter for the first time in nearly a decade. That alone changes the feel of special teams in Henderson. Add in the two names fighting for the job - veteran Matt Gay and undrafted rookie Kansei Matsuzawa - and suddenly this is more than a footnote.
Gay brings the cleaner résumé. He previously worked under new Raiders special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis in Los Angeles, where he had his best NFL stretch and made the Pro Bowl in 2021.
General manager John Spytek also knows him from his time in the Buccaneers’ front office, when Gay came into the league as a fifth-round pick. That kind of familiarity matters, and on paper it gives Gay the edge.
Still, his 2025 season was uneven, and he finished at under 74% on field goals.
Matsuzawa’s route to this point is the kind of story that sticks. He taught himself to kick by watching YouTube videos after going to a Raiders game in Oakland in 2018.
There were no scholarship offers and no normal recruiting trail. Instead, he built himself into a consensus All-American at Hawaii and then signed with Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent.
Teammates call him “Special K,” and it’s easy to see why that kind of backstory has caught on.
DeCamillis has been directly involved with both kickers this offseason. He’s said Gay has helped Matsuzawa sharpen his technique, and he’s described the battle as a strong one that deserves to play out. That doesn’t sound like a coach treating the job as settled.
The long-ball element could be a real separator, too. Across the NFL, kicks from 50 yards and beyond are going in at a higher rate than ever, and that makes leg strength a major part of this decision.
Gay was 4 of 5 from that range in 2021, which was his best season. How Matsuzawa performs on those attempts in preseason may end up carrying as much weight as what both men do from inside 40 yards.
The early read still points toward Gay landing the job, especially with the trust already in place between him, DeCamillis and Spytek. But this isn’t just a formality.
Matsuzawa has enough talent to make the Raiders think, and enough of a story to keep fans watching no matter how it ends. If he pushes this into a real preseason decision, that’s a win for the roster and for the camp narrative.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Just Got A Telling AFC West Camp Reality Check
Training camp across the AFC West is already offering a reminder that the Raiders are not just building their own roster, they are trying to close the gap on a division that never stands still. Denver has a new training facility, Kansas City is juggling staff and personnel questions, and the Chargers are leaning hard into continuity as they get ready for another run, which means Las Vegas has to track more than its own depth chart this summer.
For the Raiders, the early division picture is useful because it shows where the pressure points may be. The Broncos still have some long-term questions up front, the Chiefs are sorting through uncertainty at several spots on both sides of the ball, and the Chargers are banking on healthy key pieces returning to form. None of that settles the AFC West race, but it does give Las Vegas a clearer sense of where the openings might be if it wants to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
These Raiders UDFAs Have A Real Shot To Survive Camp
Training camp has a way of sorting out the long shots from the real contenders, and the Raiders have a few undrafted free agents who already look like they belong in the conversation. Las Vegas brought in 17 UDFAs this offseason, and the early read is that Kansei Matsuzawa, Roman Hemby and Cian Slone each have a plausible route to sticking around if they keep showing up in camp and preseason action.
Matsuzawa may have the cleanest opening because of what he already brings as a kicker, while Hemby and Slone fit the kind of depth-chasing the Raiders need as the roster takes shape. None of those paths are guaranteed, of course, and that is the point of this part of camp: every rep matters, every preseason snap matters, and for a few undrafted players, the next few weeks could decide whether they are still in the building when the final cuts arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Still Have Two Starting Jobs That Could Change Everything
The Raiders spent most of the offseason settling their depth chart, leaving far fewer questions than they had a few months ago. On offense and defense, the starting picture is largely in place, but the interior of the offensive line is still unsettled enough to matter. Both guard spots remain open heading into training camp, and that makes the next few weeks a real test for a unit that can shape how steady the whole offense looks.
Kevin Kubiak has made it clear the decision will not come down to one flashy practice or a single strong rep. Consistency, versatility, pass protection, run blocking and how well each player fits with the rest of the line all figure into the mix, which is exactly why this battle could linger for a while. The Raiders also have to wait before the physical part of camp really ramps up, so this is the kind of competition that should reveal itself gradually rather than all at once. [Read more 🡒]