After a not-so-great first full season with the Raiders in 2019, where he made just 73.1 percent of his field goals, kicker Daniel Carlson has turned his career around. Over the last five seasons, Carlson has made a shade over 90 percent of his field goal attempts for Las Vegas.
Carlson's up-and-down run with the Raiders continued in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, with an incredibly rushed miss from 55 yards out and a game-winning attempt from the same distance that was blocked. He also made field goals from 51 and 56 yards out, however.
He was given a four-year, $18.4 million contract extension by the Raiders in December of 2021, which made him one of the highest-paid kickers in the NFL at the time. While that may not seem like incredibly long ago, Mike Mayock was the Raiders' general manager back then.
It also means that Carlson is entering the final year of that contract, and naturally, he is seeking a new deal.
Raiders' potential extension with Daniel Carlson could face an unforeseen twist
"Going on year eight as a Raider now, that’s essentially been my whole career,” Carlson said back in June. "Just honored to be a part of this historic organization and excited about where we’re headed this year and the direction we’re going as a program. So if (an extension) happens, I’d love that, but I’m focused on the football side.”
The Raiders have done a fair amount of contract extension business this offseason, with notable deals for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, punter A.J. Cole and most recently, left tackle Kolton Miller.
Of course, a critical dynamic of getting contract extensions done is timing. The Raiders nailed the timing of Crosby's deal before the top of the edge rusher market boomed. The timing was less than ideal with Miller, after the division rival Los Angeles Chargers gave Rashawn Slater a big contract.
As things stand right now for this year, Carlson is the 13th-highest-paid kicker in the league by annual salary. It's worth wondering if the new Raiders' regime wants to keep heavily investing in a kicker, or if they'd rather reset at the position next offseason and use the freed-up resources elsewhere.
A fresh twist has now been added to the conversation about the Raiders potentially extending Carlson.
RELATED: Raiders have an early problem quietly brewing behind Kolton Miller
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, with two years left on his deal, Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell is seeking a new contract. At the time he signed his current deal in 2022, he was tied with Justin Tucker as the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. Now, at $5 million per year, he is the 11th-highest paid kicker.
Coming off a season where he led the league in made field goals and earned a First Team All-Pro nod, Boswell has made a case for a raise that would make him the highest-paid kicker in the league. At $6.4 million per year, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker currently holds that distinction.
Carlson certainly has his case to be one of the 5-10 highest-paid kickers in the NFL, which would mean making over $5 million per year. But if Boswell resets the top of the market with an extension, that rising tide will raise all subsequent ships, and Carlson is lined up to be among them.
If the Raiders want to extend Carlson, it would behoove them to get a deal done soon.