Ranking the top NFC North kickers and punters for 2026 as we continue the “2026 LWOS Best of the NFL” series. When evaluating the impact of NFL specialists, their success is based on statistical factors, including accuracy, distance, and reliability. Specialists typically enjoy the longest-tenured career of all professional football players based on the reduced likelihood of injury and physical wear and tear upon their bodies. According to Statista.com, the average career length for an NFL punter is 6.4 years, with kickers averaging 5.5 years. However, two of the NFL North’s top specialists are long-term veterans with double-digit NFL careers.
Ranking The Top NFC North Kickers and Punters For 2026
In both NFL and fantasy football drafts, kickers are often among the last players drafted. However, their impact can be game-changing, particularly when a game-winning field goal is needed in the closing seconds, or when a punter has to nail a punt to pin the opposition deep in their own territory to preserve a win. In those moments, having a reliable kicker or punter is irreplaceable.
Here are the top NFC North kickers and punters for 2026 who rank among the NFL’s best players.
Ranking The Top NFC North Kickers for 2026
3. Jake Bates, Detroit Lions Kicker
The NFC North kicker who scored the most points last season in the division (135) was Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates. Only five NFL kickers, including league leader Jason Myers (Seattle Seahawks), scored more points. Myers topped the NFL with an astonishing 171 points.
However, when evaluating a kicker’s impact, his accuracy and conversion rate must also be taken into account. After a terrific 2024 rookie season, Bates struggled with accuracy in 2025 and had a bit of a sophomore slump. In addition, two field goals and an extra point were blocked, which significantly hurt his stats. Closing out the year, Bates converted 27 of 34 field goals for 79.3% and 54/56 extra points for 96.4%.
Nonetheless, Bates has one of the strongest legs in the league. Although his longest recorded NFL kick is from 59 yards, it’s a well-known fact that he’s capable of booting field goals well in excess of 60 yards during practice. With the 60-plus-yard field goal becoming the new standard for the NFL, having a kicker who can successfully boot the long ball is crucial. Should the Lions find themselves in a situation this season where a long-range kick is mandated, Bates has the talent and leg strength to bring it home.
2. Cairo Santos, Chicago Bears Kicker
Santos, one of the NFC North’s premier kickers, is a veteran NFL journeyman who has played for seven different teams during his 13-year career. The Chicago Bears kicker since 2020, this is Santos’ longest stint since he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a UDFA in 2014 and spent the next four seasons.
Over the past five years, Santos brought some much needed stability and consistency to Chicago’s kicking game. He started 98 games for Chicago, recording 158 /178 field goals for 88.76% with a longest of 55 yards, and 185/195 extra points for 94.87%.
In 2020, Santos had a breakout year for Chicago, kicking 30/32 field goals for 93.8% along with 36/37 extra points for 97.3%. He also converted his first 55-yard field goal that season, although he would match that distance again in subsequent years.
In 2025, Santos had a strong year, converting 25/30 field goals and all 39 extra points. At 34 years of age, Santos shows no signs of slowing down, proving to be one of the more reliable veteran kickers in the league and one of the top NFC North specialists.
1. Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings Kicker
When it comes to stability and reliability in kicking field goals, no one in the NFC North has proven more trustworthy than Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard. Boasting a 94.3% field goal conversion percentage in 2025, he converted 33/35 field goals along with all 31 extra points.
Reichard’s two-year career stats include 57/65 field goals for 87.7% and all 69 extra points. His longest field goal to date was a stunning 62-yarder in Week 3 of 2025 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The kick set a new franchise record for the Vikings.
Now in his 3rd season with Minnesota, Reichard is living up to his pre-draft ranking as the first kicker selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star kicker and Lou Groza Award semi-finalist set a conference record for the most points scored in SEC history with 486. Checking all the boxes of accuracy, leg strength, and reliability, Reichard projects as one of the premier NFL specialists and the top NFC North kicker for the 2026 season.
Ranking The Top NFC North Punters for 2026
A punter’s impact is based on net average yards punted and his ability to consistently pin opposing teams inside the 20-yard line. Here are the rankings for the top NFC North punters entering the 2026 season.
3) Jack Fox, Detroit Lions Punter
One of the premier punters in the NFL, Fox has been twice voted to the Pro Bowl and is the current holder of several NFL and Lions’ franchise records. Ahead of the 2025 season, he ranked first in NFL history in gross punting average (48.8 avg.) and second in net punting average (43.2 avg.) among all qualified punters. In 2024, he became the first punter in NFL history to average at least 51.0 gross yards and 46.0 net yards per punt in a season.
Last year, Fox had 56 punts for 2,611 yards with a 70-yard punt as his longest. 28 punts landed inside the 20-yard line, which was the most in the NFC North. Throughout his NFL career, he booted 334 punts for 16,172 yards (48.4%), 133 punts inside 20 yard line. His 39.8% average of delivering punts inside the 20 is the highest in the division.
Sometimes a punter is called upon to execute trick plays, and Fox has performed admirably in that regard. In his 6-year NFL career, Fox is four-of-five passing (80.0%) for 61 yards. All four of his completions have resulted in first downs. Unfortunately, passing statistics aren’t taken into account for the purposes of rating a punter in the NFL. If they were, Fox might be the number one-ranked punter in the NFC North.
2) Johnny Hekker, Minnesota Vikings Punter
It’s a bit ironic that the NFC North’s statistical number two punter is Johnny Hekker, who has yet to punt in the division. Minnesota acquired him in March of 2026 and signed him to a one-year agreement valued at $1,487, 500. A 15-year NFL veteran, Hekker began his career as an undrafted free agent for the L.A. Rams in 2012, and most recently was the punter for the Tennessee Titans. In 2025, he punted 78 times for 3,653 yards with 22 punts landing inside the 20-yard line.
During his distinguished NFL career, Hekker recorded 1,041 punts for 48,705 yards (46.8%) with a 78-yard punt as his longest, and 400 punts inside 20 yard line. Outpacing the other NFC North punters, he recorded the most punts, the most punting yards, and the most accumulated career stats. However, given how the Titans struggled offensively and relied heavily on Hekker’s punting expertise, it will be interesting to see how he fares on a team that is more competitive offensively.
1) Daniel Whelan, Green Bay Packers Punter
Daniel Whelan is arguably the hottest punter in the NFC North. He recently signed a three-year, $3,138 million extension with Green Bay that makes him the highest-paid punter in the NFC North. In 2025, Whelan punted 49 times for 2,533 yards with 18 punts (51.7%) inside the 20-yard line. During his 4-year career in Green Bay, he recorded 162 punts for 7,749 yards (47.8%) with 74 longest and 58 punts inside 20 yard line.
Whereas Hekker was called upon to punt 78 times last season due to his team’s lack of offense, Whelan’s superior statistical performance was earned with a total of 49 punts. Green Bay is one of the better NFL teams and has made the playoffs three times over the past three years. Whelan’s ability to make the most of limited punting opportunities makes him the NFC North’s number one-ranked punter for 2026.
