Chase McLaughlin had a strong debut season with the Buccaneers in 2023, and he will remain in place for years to come as a result. The veteran kicker has agreed to a new deal, as first reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. It is a three-year agreement, ESPN’s Jenna Laine adds.
McLaughlin initially joined the Bucs last offseason, but he was not the unquestioned kicker at the time. Rodrigo Blankenship served as competition during the summer, as had been the case for that pair during their time together with the Colts. The latter was waived in August, however, paving the way for McLaughlin to hold down kicking duties.
The 27-year-old had bounced around to several teams prior to his Tampa Bay stint, despite delivering relatively solid accuracy on field-goal attempts along the way. McLaughlin enjoyed a career year with the Bucs, however, going 29-for-31 on field goal tries (including seven-for-eight beyond 50 yards). He was also perfect on extra point kicks, upping his value compared to the one-year pact he played on in 2023. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports this new deal is worth $12.3M, marking a sizable raise from each of McLaughlin’s previous pacts.
Tampa Bay had used Ryan Succop in the kicking game for three years prior to signing McLaughlin. The former had a strong season in 2020, but his field goal accuracy declined in the following years. That led to the efforts to find a younger option, and McLaughlin fit the bill perfectly given his 2023 performance. In an offseason that has seen the Bucs retain several key players, he will join the list of contributors seeing their futures clarified.
Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. received the franchise tag as expected, meaning he will remain in Tampa Bay for at least the 2024 campaign (although a long-term deal is of course a priority for the team). Wideout Mike Evans avoided free agency on a two-year agreement, meanwhile, and quarterback Baker Mayfield finalized a massive raise via a new deal on Sunday. McLaughlin understandably found himself lower in the pecking order for a re-up, but one has nevertheless arrived before free agency or even the opening of the negotiating window.
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