Washington May Have Found Its Long-term Kicker

Going into next season, the Washington Football Team may be looking for a new franchise quarterback and other upgrades on offense and defense.

That doesn't appear the case at kicker, as Joey Slye is making a case to stick around in 2022 and perhaps beyond. 

Slye is perfect on field goals (9-9) and has missed only one extra points (8-9) since joining the Burgundy and Gold in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In Washington's loss Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles, the three-year veteran put on a show. He scored 10 of the WFT's 16 points and made a season-long 55-yard field goal.

Kicker had  been an issue for Washington before Slye's arrival, with the team going Dustin Hopkins, Chris Blewitt and Brian Johnson. 

"This is the hard part about trying to find a kicker," WFT coach Ron Rivera said. "Joey's kicked a lot longer in the league, and he's had some success."

Slye started his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers in 2019 under Rivera. The former Virginia Tech standout spent some time this season with the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers. Slye has made 82.2 percent of his field-goal tries in the NFL.

"I think there's a little but of misconception with kickers coming out of college to say ... you've got to be perfect," Slye said after signing with the WFT. "You need to ... continue to learn."

Washington was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, but the WFT may have finally landed on a kicker to keep.