Chase McLaughlin’s season has been all about making every kick look routine, and the Bucs kicker picked up some hardware to match the production.
McLaughlin was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month after a perfect October, when he went 18-for-18 on kicks and drilled seven field goals. Those 18 made kicks and 32 kicking points were tied for the most among NFC players without a miss. He put up 13 points against Pittsburgh in Week 6 and added 11 more in a Week 7 win at Carolina.
The 30-year-old has been automatic all season. He has made all 19 field-goal attempts and all 17 point-after tries, giving him 74 points, which leads the NFL.
His streak of 19 straight made field goals is the longest in the league this season and the third-longest in Bucs history. Connor Barth owns the franchise record with 25 consecutive makes from Oct. 16, 2011 until Sept.
30, 2012.
McLaughlin has also been deadly from deep. He has hit all four of his tries from 50 yards or more this season, and his career field-goal percentage on kicks of 50-plus yards is 85.5%, the best mark in NFL history. It’s the first monthly special teams award of his career, and the first time a Buccaneer has been honored since punter Jake Camarda in September 2023 and kicker Matt Bryant in December 2007.
There was also some movement on the practice field Thursday. Receiver Emeka Egbuka returned after missing the previous two games with a foot injury. Defensive lineman Elijah Roberts, who sat out Wednesday because of an illness, was back at practice, while outside linebacker Yaya Diaby remained sidelined with a knee issue but worked with a trainer.
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