The Arizona Cardinals have a very high-powered offense and as a result of this, their special teams also see the field frequently and gets a handful of scoring opportunities a game. Despite their high level of scoring, the Cardinals have a rather weak special teams unit. In an article written by Rick Gossin from SI Sports, the Cardinals’ special teams unit was ranked as the 23rd best in the 2021-2022 season. Although they are ranked on the lower end of the league on special teams, the Cardinals do not have a bad kicker or punter by any means. Although they are both quite past their primes and nearing two decades in the league each, they are still very serviceable players.
Matt Prater
The kicker for the Arizona Cardinals is Matt Prater. Prater joined the team last season after spending seven years with the Detroit Lions. Prater is one of the most talented kickers in the history of the NFL. For quite some time, he held the NFL record for the longest field goal in league history before Justin Tucker nailed a 66-yard field goal last season. He began his career as an undrafted free agent before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2007 season. However, after beginning his career one for four on field goals, he was let go by the Falcons and joined the Denver Broncos in 2007. He would remain with the Broncos for seven years, making 351 of his 423 field goal attempts and 538 of his 552 extra point attempts. It was during his time with the Broncos that Prater set the record for the longest field goal at 64 yards. This period of his career was considered by many to be the prime. In the 2013 season, he was named to the Pro Bowl team for the first time in his career. After his seven years with the Broncos, Prater would become a member of the Detroit Lions. During his time with the Lions, he made 179 of his 212 field goal attempts and 231 of his 241 extra point attempts. After seven years with the Lions, Prater would join the Cardinals. Last year with Arizona, he made 30 of his 37 field goal attempts and 47 of his 49 extra point attempts. Even at his age, Prater is still an extremely accurate and consistent kicker.
Andy Lee
Andy Lee takes care of the punts for the Cardinals. He has been named to the Pro Bowl three times and was also named an All-Pro three times over his eighteen years career. Lee was a 6th-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2004 draft. He spent the first eleven years of his career with the 49ers where he made all three of his Pro Bowl appearances and where he was named an All-Pro three times. He then spent one year with the Cleveland Browns and one year with the Carolina Panthers before he would join the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. Since then, Lee has been the punter for the Cardinals. He has plenty of experience under his belt and has been the best at his position at the high point of his career. Although he is a little over the hill, Lee is still a very talented punter, especially for turning 40 this season.
