The Washington Commanders might be in the middle of a lost season, but that doesn’t mean there’s still not going to be accountability somewhere.
The Commanders moved quickly to get rid of a diminishing asset just one day after a 16-13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 in the NFL’s first game in Madrid, Spain, by releasing Pro Bowl kicker and Super Bowl champion Matt Gay.
It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Commanders, who dropped to 3-8 with the loss to the Dolphins. Washington went 12-5 and made the NFC Championship Game last season.
“The Commanders have released K Matt Gay, who missed two FGs on Sunday,” the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account.
It came as little surprise to anyone who watched Gay’s struggles this season from where NFL teams need kickers most — he was 4-of-9 for the season on field goals 50 yards or longer.
Gay, who is in his seventh NFL season, won a Super Bowl and made his lone Pro Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
“Matt Gay is a great dude,” NBC Sports reporter JP Finlay wrote on his official X account. “But the kicker position is binary. Gotta make kicks.”
Commanders Kicking Struggles Date Back to 2024
Gay’s release is the culmination of several years of kicking struggles for the Commanders, dating back to when they released Super Bowl champion kicker Brandon McManus in June 2024 just 3 months after signing him to a 1-year, $3.6 million contract.
McManus’ release came just days after news broke that McManus was being accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by two women over his alleged actions on overseas flight to London while he was playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023.
According to an article by ESPN’s Michael Dirocco, McManus was accused of “rubbing himself against (the women) and grinding against them,” on the flight and the women were seeking “in excess of $1 million and demanding a jury trial.”
The NFL’s investigation into McManus revealed no evidence of misconduct and he was never criminally charged. He signed with the Green Bay Packers in October 2024 and signed a 3-year, $15.3 million contract extension with them in March.
Social Media’s Brutal Reaction to Gay’s Last Game
There was universal condemnation for Gay’s last game with the Commanders, where he made 2 field goals under 40 yards and missed on his 2 attempts from over 50 yards, including a potential game winner from 56 yards with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Social media, if you can believe it, was unsparing.
“This loss is on Matt Gay, NOT Marcus Mariota!” Hogs Haven’s Mark Tyler wrote on his official X account following the loss to the Dolphins. “Without Mariota, we wouldn’t have been in the game. Matt Gay has been a liability ALL DAMN SEASON!!!”
“Had to be done,” Full Press NFL’s George Carmi wrote on his official X account. “Best of luck to him and his family. But we’ve lost games due to Matt Gay.”
Head coach Dan Quinn was direct about how the team viewed Gay and the move.
“The performance, you’ve got to have it,” Quinn told ESPN’s John Keim. “We wanted it to work long term with Matt. It wasn’t (about) one game.”
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