On this date 14 years ago, the Giants and Chiefs pulled off a trade that probably would have been filed under one of our ‘Minor Transactions’ posts (had PFR existed at the time). While no one knew it at the time, the key player in the trade would ultimately play a major role in both of the Giants Super Bowl runs. On May 22, 2007, the Kansas City Chiefs traded kicker Lawrence Tynes to the Giants for a future seventh-round pick.
The 2001 undrafted free agent out of Troy had to spend a couple of years in the Canadian Football League before finally getting an opportunity with the Chiefs. He spent three years in Kansas City but didn’t do anything miraculous, converting only 78.2-percent of his field goals attempts. He also blew a field goal attempt in a playoff game against the Colts, drawing the ire of head coach Herm Edwards. The organization would later select UCLA’s Justin Medlock in the fifth-round of the draft, leading to Tynes departure.
The Giants seemed like a natural trade partner after losing Jay Feely in free agency, and they were looking for a veteran who could compete with former undrafted free agent Josh Huston. So, on May 22, 2007, the two teams pulled off the transaction, with Kansas City receiving a reported ‘undisclosed’ pick. We later learned that the mystery selection was a 2008 seventh-round pick (which ultimately turned into No. 239), which the Chiefs used on fullback Michael Merritt.
Tynes ended up winning the job for the Giants, and he proceeded to have a career year in 2007. He connected on a career-high 85.2-percent of his field goals, and he converted 40 of his 42 extra point tries. However, the kicker truly inserted himself into Giants lore with his performance in the 2007 postseason. At one point, Tynes was in the doghouse instead of the penthouse; in the NFC Championship Game, he missed a pair of fourth-quarter field goals (although one was on a bad snap), and the game ultimately went to overtime. However, Tynes redeemed himself by making a 47-yarder in overtime to send the Giants to the championship game. Tynes wasn’t the hero of the Super Bowl, but he still converted his one field goal attempt and two extra point attempts, earning himself his first ring.
Tynes missed most of the 2008 season with a knee injury, but he returned to the starting gig the following year. The kicker maintained his 83-percent(ish) field goal percentage in 2009 and 2010, but he started to show some cracks in 2011, missing five of his 24 field goal attempts. During the 2011 postseason, Tynes redeemed himself once again with playoff heroics. He kicked another game-winning field goal (this time against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game), becoming the only player in NFL history to have a pair of postseason overtime/game-winning field goals. The Giants would again beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, with the kicker making each of his field goal attempts in that game.
Tynes would spend one more season in New York, making a career-high 33 field goals. He signed with the Buccaneers the following offseason, but he missed the entire season thanks to a toe infection that ultimately led to a lawsuit against the team (if you’re curious, Google ‘Buccaners MRSA’). Tynes ultimately retired after getting released the following offseason.
When this trade was pulled off on May 22, 2007, it probably didn’t catch the attention of many fans. However, with the value of hindsight (and considering Tynes’ penchant for making dramatic overtime field goals in the playoffs), you could argue that this was one of the biggest transactions that influenced the Giants two Super Bowl runs.
Ben, please correct trade date May 22, 2017 to 2007
Yeah, this made me read over a couple of times. Lawrence must have had a Tyne machine
There’s a Tynes and Hynes