Bengals kicker Evan McPherson named AFC special teams player of the month for September
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, the team announced Oct. 1, 2026. McPherson converted all eight of his field-goal attempts and all eight extra points during Cincinnati’s three games in September. He scored 32 points for the month.
The team said his 32 points tied for the most by any NFL kicker in September and that his total field goals tied for the most among AFC kickers. He led all kickers with five field goals of 50 yards or more during the month. Those five 50-plus-yard makes were the most in a single month in Bengals history.
McPherson opened the season 4-for-4 on field goals in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, making kicks of 55 and 58 yards and becoming the first kicker in Bengals history to make multiple field goals of 55 yards or more in a game. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for that performance, his eighth such weekly award. He then made two more kicks from beyond 50 yards at Houston and connected from 50 and 38 yards at Pittsburgh.
McPherson has made his last 20 field-goal attempts dating to Week 11 of last season, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind Shayne Graham’s streak of 21 in 2007. The streak is tied with Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt for the longest active streak among AFC kickers. This is McPherson’s second AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award; he previously received the honor in December 2021. The last Bengals player to win a monthly award was quarterback Joe Burrow, who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for regular-season games played in December/January of the 2024 season.
NFL Sports Blog Take
McPherson’s combination of range and accuracy gives Cincinnati a reliable scoring option from long distance and forces opponents to defend deeper on fourth downs. His 20 consecutive made field-goal attempts and the franchise single-month record for 50-plus-yard kicks highlight an uncommon blend of leg strength and consistency. As the Bengals prepare for Week 4, his leg should remain a strategic asset in close games and in fourth-down decisions.