In what was an unheralded but still critically important battle for the Las Vegas Raiders during training camp and the preseason, veteran free agent signing Matt Gay has emerged victorious over rookie UDFA Kansei Matsuzawa for the Silver and Black's starting kicking job.
Both kickers struggled early this summer, particularly Matsuzawa in the preseason, which prompted Raiders fans to entertain the idea of a Daniel Carlson reunion. But with Carlson now off the table, Gay was pretty much going to win the gig by default. And that's never how you want a competition to go.
But in the preseason finale, Gay actually earned his spot on the team, instead of being the best of a bad bunch. However, John Spytek and the front office should still do their due diligence on kickers now and in the future, as Gay still has plenty left to prove to this team and fanbase.
Matt Gay has won the Raiders' kicking job (at least for now)
During Thursday's preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers, Matsuzawa didn't get a single rep. Instead, the Raiders trotted Gay out there for five field goal attempts and four kickoffs. This was clearly a tune-up for Gay as he prepares to be the kicker in Las Vegas to start the 2026 NFL season.
In the contest, he actually fared pretty well, knocking in kicks from 53 yards, 48 yards, 45 yards and 37 yards. He did miss one from 54 yards, though, so even on the night that Gay cinched up the starting job, he wasn't perfect. NFL kickers made 60% of their attempts from 50+ yards last season.
Matsuzawa, by contrast, missed a 38-yarder against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason opener and also didn't place his kickoff in the landing zone or inbounds, leading to a penalty. Then, he missed a pair of extra points in the second exhibition game against the Houston Texans.
Last week, Gay firmly pulled ahead by making a 52-yard field goal, his lone attempt. And on Thursday, he shut the door on the promising IPP prospect with a 4-for-5 outing and another make from 50+ yards. Unless Las Vegas randomly brings someone in this week, it is Gay's job.
That doesn't mean it's his to keep, though.
Kickers Raiders could be interested in if Matt Gay era goes sideways
Gay came to Las Vegas with a shaky track record, and he's coming off a career-worst campaign in 2025. Nailing kicks in camp, joint practices and the preseason is one thing, but the regular season is a different beast entirely. And the Raiders need to be prepared if Gay falls short again.
Obviously, Matsuzawa could be a replacement option if he's on the practice squad, given that he has an exemption because he joined the Silver and Black by way of the International Player Pathway. But an external option could always make its way to Las Vegas if things go sideways for Gay as well.
As far as the established veteran market, familiar names like Matt Prater, Brandon McManus and Graham Gano are all available. The Raiders could always go for an outside-the-box option as well and take a chance on a young or unproven kicker with a big leg.
And of course, there are several kicking battles going on around the league right now, and Spytek and the pro personnel department should be monitoring for the losers of said competitions, who will be released. Even though they just lost, they could be an upgrade over what Las Vegas currently has.
The hope is that Gay can be solid enough in the regular season and the Raiders have one less thing to worry about. But kicking is a crucial part of the game and not something that a team can just slap a Band-Aid on or say, "good enough."
So, while Gay has won the battle, that doesn't mean that he's established himself yet.
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