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Matt Prater

NFC West Notes: Cousins, Cards, Seahawks

November 13th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brock Purdy ranks seventh in QBR, and while some bumps in the road have formed for Kyle Shanahan‘s quick study, he remains on steady ground months after going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII. The 49ers have Purdy tied to rookie-deal money through season’s end and then an interesting decision will loom. With Dak Prescott raising the market (thanks to unique leverage) to $60MM per year, Purdy will be in line for a high-end deal — even if it does not eclipse the Cowboys passer’s. As we heard in May, connections about a lower-cost plan continue to take place around the league.

Execs are still discussing the prospect of Shanahan reuniting with Kirk Cousins via 2025 trade, per the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. This would stand to be a fallback option in the event Purdy negotiations run too hot for San Francisco’s liking, but swapping out a soon-to-be 25-year-old arm for a player who will turn 37 in 2025 would still be a massive risk. Shanahan was Cousins’ first NFL OC, though Jay Gruden was in charge when the now-longtime starter received his first extended QB1 run. The 49ers were prepared to offer their No. 2 overall pick to Washington in 2017 for Cousins, but they committed to Jimmy Garoppolo before his free agency a year later. This reunion seems unlikely, though a GM told La Canfora in a separate piece he does expect the current Falcons starter to be traded next year.

An October report revealed skepticism in some NFL corners the Falcons will sit Michael Penix Jr. for two seasons, calling Cousins’ post-2024 future into question. For now, Cousins remains in Atlanta on a contract that includes a $100MM practical guarantee. Even if the 49ers do not wish to part with Purdy, another offseason of Cousins rumors appears certain for 2025. Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • The 49ers have made a few splashy trades before past deadlines, acquiring Garoppolo, Emmanuel Sanders and Chase Young during the Shanahan-John Lynch regime’s run. The eighth-year HC said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) no similar possibilities emerged this year. The 49ers did make a minor addition, adding defensive tackle Khalil Davis from the Texans to join fellow Houston-to-San Francisco DT Maliek Collins. Shanahan also classified not being better prepared for injuries at safety a “huge risk,” given Talanoa Hufanga‘s situation, but Tashaun Gipson did rejoin the team via a practice squad deal hours after the deadline. Tearing an ACL in 2023, Hufanga is uncertain to return this season due to a wrist injury.
  • On the subject of NFC West safeties, Budda Baker looks to have a path to stay in Arizona after his contract expires. Some around the league view the prospect of a third Baker-Cardinals contract as realistic, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The perennial Pro Bowler asked out of Arizona during the 2023 offseason and only received incentives to stay. Baker’s contract expires at season’s end, and he will be 29 by free agency, opening the door to a lucrative third contract. The safety market has been hot and cold in recent years, but if the Cardinals want to retain Baker, an upper-crust contract should be required. Now that Arizona has taken steps forward, Baker certainly could fit into the team’s long-term plans. He has expressed interest in sticking around long term.
  • The Cardinals have been using in-season pickup Chad Ryland at kicker, but Matt Prater‘s injury is not viewed as season-ending. Jonathan Gannon expects (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) the Cardinals to have their 40-year-old regular kicker back at some point. Prater is down with a left knee injury, which has cost him six games.
  • Bailing on both their top linebacker options by the midpoint, the Seahawks have some reorganizing to do coming out of their bye. After trading Jerome Baker to the Titans for Ernest Jones, the Hawks waived Tyrel Dodson. Seattle’s free agency plan of Baker and Dodson is out, and Mike Macdonald said (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) rookie Tyrice Knight is the lead candidate to play alongside Jones. Seattle drafted Knight in Round 4; Dodson is heading to Miami via waiver claim.

Cardinals’ Bilal Nichols Out For Season, ‘Good Chance’ Jonah Williams Returns

October 17th, 2024 at 12:26pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Cardinals defensive tackle Bilal Nichols will be out for the rest of the 2024 season, head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Thursday, per team reporter Darren Urban.

Nichols was knocked out of Arizona’s Week 6 loss to the Packers with a stinger, and further evaluation revealed a season-ending injury that landed him on injured reserve on October 15. He will join Justin Jones – who tore his triceps in Week 3 – on the sideline for the rest of the year, severely depleting the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation.

Nichols and Jones were two of general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s major free agency signings this offseason, meant to short up Arizona’s league-worst rushing defense in 2023. The injuries have made any improvements marginal at best; the Cardinals rank 30th with 918 yards allowed on the ground this season. Now, only Roy Lopez remains from the starting defensive line, with Khyiris Tonga, L.J. Collier, Naquan Jones and Dante Stills expected to fill the void.

Ossenfort can hope for a better return on his other big offseason investment: offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Gannon said there is a “good chance” that Williams returns from a Week 1 knee injury that initially put the rest of his season in jeopardy, according to Urban.

Veteran Kelvin Beachum has taken over for Williams at right tackle since Week 1 outside of a minor injury in Week 3 that required relief efforts from both Jackson Barton and Charlie Heck. The position has not been a weakness for the Cardinals’ offense, but there is little doubt that Williams would still be an upgrade if he can return this year.

Kicker Matt Prater is also on injured reserve in Arizona, but Gannon said that it is possible he returns this season. In the meantime, the Cardinals have relied on Chad Ryland, who converted five of his six attempts including a game-winner against the 49ers in Week 5.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.

The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Cardinals Re-Sign K Matt Prater

March 14th, 2023 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Prater will return to the Cardinals for a third season, and it will be his 17th in the NFL. Arizona announced another Prater agreement Tuesday.

Going into his age-39 season, Prater has played for three teams. The former Broncos and Lions specialist has camped in Arizona for his late 30s, signing a two-year deal with the Cardinals initially in 2021. Despite Prater’s age and the organization adding a new HC-GM combo, Tuesday’s agreement is also for two years.

Prater had a down year during his final season in Detroit in 2020, connecting on only 75 percent of his field goal attempts. He’s rebounded nicely during his two years in Arizona, connecting on 83.9 percent of his field goal attempts. He was especially efficient this past year, connecting on 88 percent of his field goals, his best rate since 2015. Prater also connected on 17 of his 18 extra point attempts.

The veteran kicker did miss a handful of games this past year thanks to a midseason hip injury. This was the first time Prater missed a game since the 2014 campaign, and considering the two-year commitment, the Cardinals clearly aren’t concerned about the player’s health moving forward.

Kicker Elliott Fry was signed to a futures deal after the 2022 campaign and should provide Prater with some competition during the preseason.

Cardinals To Sign K Matt Ammendola

October 5th, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 5: The Cardinals will be promoting Ammendola to their 53-man roster soon. Kliff Kingsbury ruled out Prater for Week 5, moving Ammendola into position to kick for a second team this season. After going to training camp with the Jets, Ammendola kicked in two Chiefs games.

OCTOBER 4: Matt Ammendola has secured the chance to make a second fill-in cameo this season. After working out for the Cardinals, the young kicker is signing with the team’s practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

One of a few kickers to audition for the Cardinals on Monday, Ammendola will be in line to take over kicking duties for the NFC West team — in the event Matt Prater cannot go Sunday. Prater is battling a hip injury that prevented him from finishing the Cards’ Week 4 game.

This is quite familiar territory for Ammendola. After the Chiefs used a position player (Justin Reid) during part of their first game (in Arizona), they added Ammendola. That partnership crumbled after the former Jets kicker missed an extra point and a 34-yard field goal in the Chiefs’ Week 3 loss to the Colts. With Prater’s setback forcing the Cards to use a position player (Eno Benjamin) late in their win over the Panthers, they are calling on the second-year specialist.

Ammendola made every kick he attempted in the Chiefs’ Week 2 win over the Chargers but has otherwise struggled as a pro. The Oklahoma State product was just 13-for-19 on field goal tries — including an 0-for-3 mark on 50-plus-yarders — with the Jets last season, leading the team to sign Greg Zuerlein this offseason. Zuerlein beat out Ammendola in training camp.

Prater, 38, has been durable during his career. The 16th-year veteran’s last missed game due to injury came in 2010. He has been Arizona’s kicker for two seasons now, having signed with the Cardinals following a lengthy Lions stay.

NFC West Notes: Cards, 49ers, Van, Hawks

October 3rd, 2022 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the Chiefs’ lead, the Cardinals used a position player as their emergency kicker Sunday. Backup running back Eno Benjamin logged a kickoff for the Cardinals against the Panthers on Sunday. That arrangement, similar to the Chiefs’ usage of safety Justin Reid against the Cards in Week 1, will not persist past Week 4. With Matt Prater battling a right hip injury, the Cardinals worked out multiple kickers Monday.

Rodrigo Blankenship, Matt Ammendola — the Chiefs’ first post-Reid solution to fill in for Harrison Butker — Jose Borregales and Jonathan Garibay auditioned for the Cardinals, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Blankenship, whom the Colts turned to in their first full season without Adam Vinatieri, missed much of last year with an injury and was removed from his gig after struggling in Week 1 this year. Blankenship worked out for the Jaguars last week. Ammendola lasted two games as the Chiefs’ Butker fill-in, being cut after struggling in Week 3, while Garibay was part of the Cowboys’ kicking competition. The rookie UDFA did not make it out of training camp.

Ahead of Monday’s Rams-49ers matchup, here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Although the 49ers turned to Jaylon Moore to replace Trent Williams in Week 3, Colton McKivitz will start against the Rams on Monday night. An ankle injury prevented McKivitz from replacing Williams against the Broncos, who pounced after the All-Pro’s exit, but he was the team’s swing tackle throughout the summer. With Williams facing a four- to six-week recovery timetable, McKivitz may have the blindside gig for a bit. The 49ers let 2021 swing tackle Tom Compton sign with the Broncos, but McKivitz — who filled in for Williams in a do-or-die Week 18 tilt in Los Angeles — has been with the team since arriving as a 2020 firth-rounder.
  • The 49ers have made a few changes at the slot cornerback spot over the past several weeks. After Darqueze Dennard entered camp with the job, rookie Samuel Womack supplanted him and led to the 49ers releasing the veteran. Deommodore Lenoir has since replaced Womack, with Kyle Shanahan indicating the 2021 fifth-rounder played ahead of the 2022 fifth-rounder due to superior practice work recently, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Lenoir played 29% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps last season but likely does not have a firm grip on the job over Womack, who impressed during training camp, just yet.
  • Staying on the subject of 49ers corners, Shanahan expressed optimism Jason Verrett would practice this week. Verrett’s practice window opens ahead of Week 5, with the 49ers carrying the injury-prone vet on their reserve/PUP list. Should Verrett prove recovered from his September 2021 ACL tear, Barrows notes a starting job should not be ruled out. Verrett played well as a 49ers starter in 2020, showing form that enticed the team to re-sign him in 2021 and this year. Emmanuel Moseley‘s past in the slot could allow for a transition, forming a Verrett-Mosley-Charvarius Ward trio, if Verrett is healthy.
  • Sean McVay did not seem to expect Van Jefferson to miss a third of the season, but that will happen. The Rams placed Jefferson on IR ahead of their Week 3 game, but McVay is adamant the third-year wideout did not suffer a setback upon returning from arthroscopic knee surgery, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets. Jefferson’s IR move was more about roster construction, and The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds (via Twitter) the Rams expect their WR3 to be back when first eligible in Week 8 (following the team’s Week 7 bye).
  • Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown will not be ready to return when first eligible to come off the team’s PUP list. Pete Carroll confirmed the third-year corner remains a few weeks away, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter). Brown missed last season’s first five games and was down for their final seven, with a Nov. 21 knee injury leading to the latter hiatus. Seattle’s cornerback room has changed considerably since Brown last played; it will be interesting to see what role the 2021 fourth-rounder will play upon returning.

Cardinals Sign K Matt Prater

March 17th, 2021 at 6:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals have made an upgrade at kicker. They signed the specialist who holds the record for the NFL’s longest field goal, agreeing to terms with former Broncos and Lions kicker Matt Prater.

Prater spent the past seven seasons in Detroit. He will migrate to the desert for his age-37 season. Prater will replace Zane Gonzalez, whose struggles down the stretch contributed to the Cardinals slinking out of the 2020 playoff race.

Prater’s deal is worth $7MM over two years, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He will rejoin former Broncos special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers with the Cardinals.

He of a 64-yard field goal during his final Broncos season (2013), Prater continued his long-range mastery in Detroit. He connected on a 59-yard game-winner last season and was successful from at least 58 yards in three other Lions seasons. Prater made just 21 of 28 field goals last season but has two Pro Bowls on his resume.

The Cardinals cut Gonzalez last week. While his six misses (16 of 22) were fewer than Prater’s misfire count, Gonzalez missed some key kicks in Cards losses. Most notably, his 49-yarder that fell short of the goal posts led to the Cards losing to the Dolphins in a late-season shootout. GM Steve Keim moved swiftly to address the deficiency.

NFC Notes: Reed, Redskins, Lions, 49ers

November 22nd, 2017 at 8:27pm CST by Micah Powell

Just days after Terrelle Pryor was placed on season-ending injured reserve, the Redskins’ pass catchers received another blow on Wednesday. The team’s star tight end Jordan Reed was ruled out for the team’s Thanksgiving tilt with the Giants, according to Kimberly Martin of the Washington Post (Twitter link).

The oft-injured Reed, who was labeled as questionable by head coach Jay Gruden an hour before the announcement, will miss his sixth game of the year. Reed also missed four games in 2016 and two during his breakout 2015 season.

There are few better tight ends than Reed when he is on the field. Of the 11 players at his position to record 250 receptions since 2013, he is the only one to average at least five receptions per game. The team will once again turn to Vernon Davis in the division clash on Thursday night.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Though the 49ers will start C.J. Beathard again on Sunday, team general manager John Lynch is convinced Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be the team’s future starting quarterback writes Cam Inman of The Mercury News. “We really, genuinely believe that this guy’s got the makings of a guy who could be our guy for years to come,” Lynch said. “That’s all got to come to fruition on the field.” 
  • Staying with San Francisco, Lynch also believes defensive end Arik Armstead has a bright future with the team despite missing 18 of 32 career games with an injury, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We think he’s a fit with what we are and who we are going forward,” Lynch said. Though he is a fit, Armstead will need to find a way to stay on the field to stay in the 49ers’ plans.
  • Matt Prater has been the Lions’ most valuable free agent signing in the last five seasons, writes ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Though he has stiff competition from Golden Tate and Glover Quin, the veteran kicker is without a doubt in the mix for the honor.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles

October 28th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins placed linebacker Mason Foster on the injured reserve yesterday, and the veteran certainly isn’t happy with the move. In a series of tweets earlier this morning, Foster noted that he had been “done dirty” by the organization.

“All I know is [former GM] Scot [McCloughan] wouldn’t have done me like that,” Foster wrote (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I have played 3 weeks with a completely torn labrum. Lay everything on the line for someone just to have that same person slap you in the face. Business is business tho right. They don’t care about us.”

As the writer notes, Foster is set to be a free agent following the season, and it sounds like the veteran could be looking for a new home. In five games this season, the former third-rounder compiled 31 tackles. 0.5 sacks, and one interception.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

  • The Cowboys promoted tight end Blake Jarwin from the practice squad earlier this week. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes that part of the organization’s motivation for making the move had to do with the interest Jarwin was garnering from around the NFL, particularly from the Eagles.
  • The Eagles may be in the hunt for some offensive line help, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com warns (via Twitter) that the team might not want to acquire an expensive player. After all, the writer believes the team is focused on rolling their current cap space over to the offseason, and trading for a pricey lineman could compromise that future financial flexibility.
  • Dan Bailey may be out for a while. Cowboys Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones told Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram that the veteran kicker is expected to miss at least four games (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was perfect on field goal and extra point attempts this season.
  • Speaking of kickers, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has details on Matt Prater‘s three-year extension with the Lions. The deal includes a $3.6MM signing bonus and $5MM in guaranteed money, raising his 2017 cap hit to $5.225MM. The contract hits a $2.7MM base salary in 2020.

Lions To Sign Matt Prater To Extension

October 25th, 2017 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions and kicker Matt Prater have agreed to terms on a new deal. It’s a three-year deal worth $11.4MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Factoring in the bonuses, Prater’s deal can reach a maximum value of $12.15MM. The deal, which could keep Prater in Detroit through the 2020 season, also includes a $3.6MM signing bonus. Matt Prater (vertical)

Prater was cut by the Broncos in 2014 right after he served a four-game ban for violating the substance abuse policy. The Lions were happy to give Prater a second chance at that point since neither Nate Freese nor Alex Henery could hit the broad side of a barn that year. It proved to be a worthwhile gamble for Detroit as Prater has avoided trouble and sank 85.7% of his field goal tries.

Prater has made a name for himself with long distance kicks and, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com notes, he is responsible for the four longest field goals in Lions franchise history, with the top one coming from 59 yards out. He’s also tied for the fifth-longest FG in Detroit with a 56-yarder (Jason Hanson, the previous record-holder with the Lions, has connected from that distance twice). All in all, Prater has made field goals from 50 yards or more 19 times since joining the Lions.

The 33-year-old kicker will celebrate his 36th birthday before the final year of his new contract. Prater has shown no real signs of slowing down, so he could still be booming those long-range kicks for the Lions at that point.

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