BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 4
Current official roster portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Placekicker • Eighth NFL season
From Cypress to the Tampa Bay uprights
Chase Joseph McLaughlin
- Born
- April 9, 1996 • Age 30
- Hometown
- Cypress, Texas
- Listed size
- 6 feet • 190 pounds
- High school
- Cypress Woods High School • Cypress, Texas
- College
- University of Illinois • 2014–2018
- NFL entry
- 2019 undrafted free agent • Buffalo Bills
- Joined Tampa Bay
- March 30, 2023
- Jersey
- No. 4
Sources: current Buccaneers profile, 2026 Buccaneers media guide, Illinois biography and Illinois commencement record.
NFL figures are through November 1, 2026. Sources: the 65-yard field goal, NFL career tables and Illinois records.
Some of the loudest Buccaneers celebrations begin with an entire stadium holding its breath. Chase McLaughlin knows that part of the afternoon: the drive has stopped, the field-goal unit takes over, and everyone watches the same small patch of sky. For the Krewe, No. 4 has supplied plenty of reasons to raise both arms.
Tampa Bay wanted a kicker with range when it brought him aboard in March 2023. His recent Indianapolis season offered evidence: nine successful field goals of 50-plus yards in 2022. That ability has since produced some memorable afternoons in pewter and red. The Buccaneers’ original signing announcement.
Cypress → Champaign → The NFL
Finding a home in Tampa Bay
Cypress to Champaign A college opportunity earned as a walk-on.
At Cypress Woods High School in Texas, McLaughlin lettered in both football and soccer. He joined Illinois as a walk-on in summer 2014, redshirted, and remained on the squad in 2015 before making his college game debut in 2016. By 2017, he was a team captain. Illinois’s career biography.
The early NFL road Several uniforms before Tampa Bay.
He entered the NFL with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent in 2019. His regular-season appearances before Tampa Bay came with the Chargers, 49ers, Colts, Jaguars, Jets and Browns. The team’s account of his NFL journey.
He also spent a week on Minnesota’s practice squad in September 2019. That stop belongs to his journey, while the career tables below count actual game appearances. The Buccaneers’ Vikings connection notes.
A longer stay in Tampa From a one-year opportunity to a three-year deal.
McLaughlin signed with the Buccaneers on March 30, 2023. After his first season, he signed a new three-year contract on March 13, 2024. It gave Tampa Bay continuity at kicker and McLaughlin the chance to open consecutive seasons with the same team for the first time in his career. The official contract announcement.
September 28, 2025 • Week 4 vs. Philadelphia
Sixty-five yards, right through the uprights
Buccaneers franchise record
65
YARDS • FIELD GOAL AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida
On September 28, 2025, Tampa Bay trailed Philadelphia 24–3 with four seconds left in the first half. McLaughlin lined up for a 65-yard field goal. The Eagles called timeout, but the attempt that followed cleared the crossbar and established a new Buccaneers distance record. The team’s account of the kick.
Evan Deckers supplied the snap and Riley Dixon the hold. McLaughlin later credited that operation when explaining the attempt. He also made kicks from 42 and 58 yards that afternoon. At the time, the 65-yarder was the longest successful outdoor field goal in NFL history. Watch the official 65-yard highlight.
2026 • Through the Week 8 Atlanta game
Points the Buccaneers can build on
Rain was part of the assignment against Atlanta on November 1, 2026. McLaughlin made field goals from 46, 34 and 42 yards, supplying every point in Tampa Bay’s 9–0 halftime lead. His extra point after Bucky Irving’s third-quarter touchdown completed his ten-point contribution to the 16–0 victory. The official scoring summary, PDF p. 1.
Through Week 8, he was 19-for-19 on field goals and 17-for-17 on extra points, worth 74 kicking points. His longest make of the season was the 59-yarder against Cleveland in Week 2. The current Buccaneers season record.
Recognition at Illinois A distinguished senior season.
In 2018, McLaughlin won the Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year award, earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition from the coaches, and was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. Illinois’s summary of his honors.
New Tampa Bay standards 144 points in 2024.
His 144 points in 2024 set a Buccaneers single-season scoring record. He also made 30 of 32 field goals, 93.8%, improving the franchise accuracy record he had established a year earlier. The team’s 2024 season review.
Honors in both conferences Decisive kicking afternoons.
He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 5 of 2022 after making all four field goals in Indianapolis’s 12–9 overtime win at Denver. The Colts’ award announcement.
He received the NFC award for Week 8 of 2025 after making field goals from 52, 54 and 55 yards in Tampa Bay’s 23–3 win at New Orleans. The Buccaneers’ award report.
The Buccaneers also list a 2023 First-Team All-Pro selection from Pro Football Focus among his honors. Official player biography.
The person behind No. 4
Two degrees and a life beyond the uprights
Illinois identifies his parents as Dan and Tammy McLaughlin and records that he has one brother. In his college biography, McLaughlin credited his father with teaching him to persevere and stay determined. The university’s personal profile.
Two Illinois degrees Study continued alongside football.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in technical systems management in May 2018 and a master’s degree in technology management in May 2019. The university’s graduation reporting confirms both completed degrees. Bachelor’s degree record; master’s degree announcement.
A cause on his cleats The 2025 campaign.
For Tampa Bay’s 2025 My Cause My Cleats campaign, McLaughlin selected the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The team listed his choice among the organizations represented through the players’ custom footwear. The Buccaneers’ official campaign list.
Showing up in the community Cut & Color Funds the Cure.
The Buccaneers also documented his participation in their 11th annual Cut & Color Funds the Cure event at AdventHealth Training Center on June 3, 2025. The team’s event photographs.
NFL regular season • 2019–2026
The professional kicking record
The regular-season record covers 2019–2026. Separate rows show the three teams he played for in 2019 and the two in 2020; each appearance is counted once. An asterisk marks the incomplete 2026 season through November 1, Week 8. Preseason and practice-squad-only stops are outside these statistics.
| Season | Team | G | FGM | FGA | FG % | LNG | XPM | XPA | XP % | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4 | 6 | 9 | 66.7 | 50 | 7 | 7 | 100.0 | 25 |
| 2019 | San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 7 | 8 | 87.5 | 48 | 8 | 8 | 100.0 | 29 |
| 2019 | Indianapolis Colts | 4 | 5 | 6 | 83.3 | 50 | 11 | 11 | 100.0 | 26 |
| 2020 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 3 | 4 | 5 | 80.0 | 52 | 3 | 4 | 75.0 | 15 |
| 2020 | New York Jets | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 2 |
| 2021 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 15 | 21 | 71.4 | 57 | 36 | 37 | 97.3 | 81 |
| 2022 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 30 | 36 | 83.3 | 54 | 21 | 21 | 100.0 | 111 |
| 2023 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 17 | 29 | 31 | 93.5 | 57 | 33 | 33 | 100.0 | 120 |
| 2024 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 17 | 30 | 32 | 93.8 | 56 | 54 | 56 | 96.4 | 144 |
| 2025 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 17 | 32 | 38 | 84.2 | 65 | 32 | 33 | 97.0 | 128 |
| 2026* | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | 19 | 19 | 100.0 | 59 | 17 | 17 | 100.0 | 74 |
| Career | All teams | 106 | 177 | 205 | 86.3 | 65 | 224 | 229 | 97.8 | 755 |
G = games played; FGM/FGA = field goals made/attempted; XPM/XPA = extra points made/attempted; LNG = longest made field goal in yards; PTS = kicking points. PTS = 3 × FGM + XPM. A dash means no applicable percentage or longest kick when there were no attempts or makes.
Tampa Bay subset, already included above: 59 games, 110/120 field goals (91.7%), 136/139 extra points (97.8%) and 466 kicking points. The complete NFL record is 177/205 field goals, 224/229 extra points and 755 points.
Sources: 2026 Buccaneers career table, PDF p. 181; current Buccaneers profile; final 2023 team report, PDF p. 55; original 2026 gamebooks below. Percentages are calculated from the counts: 2023’s 29/31 rounds to 93.5%. Career percentages use summed makes and attempts.
NFL field goals by distance
| Season | 1–19 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60+ | All FG | FG % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1/1 | 5/5 | 4/4 | 5/10 | 3/3 | 0/0 | 18/23 | 78.3 |
| 2020 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 0/1 | 4/5 | 80.0 |
| 2021 | 0/0 | 3/3 | 4/4 | 4/10 | 4/4 | 0/0 | 15/21 | 71.4 |
| 2022 | 0/0 | 7/7 | 5/6 | 9/11 | 9/12 | 0/0 | 30/36 | 83.3 |
| 2023 | 0/0 | 8/8 | 12/12 | 2/3 | 7/8 | 0/0 | 29/31 | 93.5 |
| 2024 | 0/0 | 11/11 | 7/7 | 4/4 | 8/10 | 0/0 | 30/32 | 93.8 |
| 2025 | 0/0 | 6/6 | 9/11 | 6/9 | 10/11 | 1/1 | 32/38 | 84.2 |
| 2026* | 0/0 | 2/2 | 6/6 | 7/7 | 4/4 | 0/0 | 19/19 | 100.0 |
| Career | 1/1 | 43/43 | 48/51 | 38/55 | 46/53 | 1/2 | 177/205 | 86.3 |
Each cell is made/attempted. The six distance ranges are mutually exclusive; 0/0 means no attempt. The 2019 and 2020 rows combine the teams shown in the career table. Across his NFL regular-season career, McLaughlin is 47/55 (85.5%) from 50 or more yards; that combines the 50–59 and 60+ columns.
Source corrections: the 2026 guide prints 6/7 from 50+ in 2023, but the final 2023 team report, PDF p. 55 and official distance table support 7/8. The guide also duplicates Jacksonville’s overall 2020 total in its 50+ cell; the correct long-distance figure is 1/2, including one miss from 60+. These tables use the corrected distance counts.
September 13–November 1, 2026
This season, kick by kick
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | FG M/A | XP M/A | LNG | PTS | Made FG (yards) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13 | @ CIN | L 27–33 | 2/2 | 3/3 | 51 | 9 | 34, 51 |
| 2 | Sep 20 | vs. CLE | L 19–23 | 4/4 | 1/1 | 59 | 13 | 59, 45, 31, 31 |
| 3 | Sep 27 | vs. MIN | L 16–23 | 3/3 | 1/1 | 54 | 10 | 28, 38, 54 |
| 4 | Oct 4 | vs. GB | L 14–17 | 0/0 | 2/2 | — | 2 | — |
| 5 | Oct 8 | @ DAL | W 24–16 | 1/1 | 3/3 | 41 | 6 | 41 |
| 6 | Oct 18 | vs. PIT | L 19–26 OT | 4/4 | 1/1 | 53 | 13 | 43, 47, 33, 53 |
| 7 | Oct 25 | @ CAR | W 43–13 | 2/2 | 5/5 | 44 | 11 | 22, 44 |
| 8 | Nov 1 | vs. ATL | W 16–0 | 3/3 | 1/1 | 46 | 10 | 46, 34, 42 |
| 2026 total | Through Nov 1 | — | — | 19/19 | 17/17 | 59 | 74 | — |
M/A = made/attempted. All distances are yards and are listed in the order the field goals were made. 19 field goals plus 17 extra points produced 74 kicking points. The Week 4 dash reflects no field-goal attempt; McLaughlin played and made both extra points.
The Week 6 53-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining in regulation tied Pittsburgh 19–19 before the overtime loss. In Carolina, McLaughlin’s 11 points exclude Zyon McCollum’s separate two-point conversion return. Results are from Tampa Bay’s perspective; @ = away, vs. = home, OT = overtime.
CIN = Cincinnati; CLE = Cleveland; MIN = Minnesota; GB = Green Bay; DAL = Dallas; PIT = Pittsburgh; CAR = Carolina; ATL = Atlanta. Original scoring summaries: W1 CIN; W2 CLE; W3 MIN; W4 GB; W5 DAL; W6 PIT; W7 CAR; W8 ATL.
2026 kickoffs and touchbacks
| Week | Date | Opponent | KO | YDS | AVG | TB | TB % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13 | @ CIN | 6 | 370 | 61.7 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Sep 20 | vs. CLE | 6 | 356 | 59.3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Sep 27 | vs. MIN | 5 | 318 | 63.6 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Oct 4 | vs. GB | 3 | 189 | 63.0 | 1 | 33.3 |
| 5 | Oct 8 | @ DAL | 5 | 305 | 61.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Oct 18 | vs. PIT | 7 | 421 | 60.1 | 1 | 14.3 |
| 7 | Oct 25 | @ CAR | 8 | 481 | 60.1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Nov 1 | vs. ATL | 5 | 299 | 59.8 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2026 total | Through Nov 1 | — | 45 | 2739 | 60.9 | 2 | 4.4 |
KO = kickoffs; YDS = kickoff distance; AVG = yards per kickoff; TB = touchbacks; TB % = touchbacks divided by kickoffs. These 45 kickoffs for 2,739 yards and two touchbacks were counted from McLaughlin’s individual play entries in the eight original gamebooks linked above. The total average is 2,739 ÷ 45 = 60.9 yards.
This table covers 2026 only. Historical career kickoff totals are not inferred from blank fields in the roster website.
Actual NFL postseason appearances
The playoff record
| Season | Date | Round | Opponent | Result | FG M/A | XP M/A | LNG | PTS | Made FG (yards) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jan 15, 2024 | Wild Card | vs. PHI | W 32–9 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 54 | 12 | 28, 54, 48 |
| 2023 | Jan 21, 2024 | Divisional | @ DET | L 23–31 | 1/2 | 2/2 | 43 | 5 | 43 |
| 2024 | Jan 12, 2025 | Wild Card | vs. WAS | L 20–23 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 50 | 8 | 50, 32 |
| Postseason | 3 games | — | — | — | 6/7 | 7/7 | 54 | 25 | — |
McLaughlin’s three actual postseason appearances total 6/7 field goals (85.7%), 7/7 extra points and 25 kicking points. His only field-goal miss in these games was a 50-yard attempt that hit the left upright at Detroit. The 54-yard Philadelphia make is his postseason long.
January dates belong to the preceding regular season. PHI = Philadelphia; DET = Detroit; WAS = Washington. These totals are separate from the regular-season tables. Original gamebooks: 2023 PHI; 2023 DET; 2024 WAS.
University of Illinois • Fighting Illini
The Illinois kicking record
McLaughlin joined Illinois as a walk-on in 2014 and redshirted. He was a squad member without a game appearance in 2015, then played in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Illinois did not play a bowl game in any of those three playing seasons; there is no college postseason appearance to add.
Participation sources: Illinois biography and 2018 final notes, PDF pp. 41–42.
| Season | G | FGM | FGA | FG % | LNG | XPM | XPA | XP % | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 70.6 | 53 | 26 | 26 | 100.0 | 62 |
| 2017 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 70.6 | 43 | 17 | 17 | 100.0 | 53 |
| 2018 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 80.0 | 54 | 36 | 36 | 100.0 | 96 |
| Career | 35 | 44 | 59 | 74.6 | 54 | 79 | 79 | 100.0 | 211 |
The university records support 35 appearances: 11 + 12 + 12. His Illinois totals are 44/59 field goals (74.6%), 79/79 extra points and 211 kicking points. The senior extra-point line is 36/36; 79/79 is the career total. The longest college field goal was 54 yards.
Original final annual tables, each PDF p. 3: 2016; 2017; 2018. The university’s final notes explicitly record 35 career appearances, resolving the 33-game figure repeated in later summaries.
College field goals by distance
| Season | Under 20 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50+ | All FG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0/0 | 3/3 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 1/3 | 12/17 |
| 2017 | 0/0 | 7/7 | 2/2 | 3/6 | 0/2 | 12/17 |
| 2018 | 0/0 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 5/7 | 4/6 | 20/25 |
| Career | 0/0 | 16/16 | 11/13 | 12/19 | 5/11 | 44/59 |
Each cell is made/attempted; 50+ includes all attempts of at least 50 yards. The final annual records total five makes in 11 attempts from 50+, including four makes in 2018. The career total sums the three season rows.
The original 2017 cumulative table places three makes in six attempts at 40–49 yards. The Iowa gamebook’s 40-yard make corroborates that range. This resolves an older biography table that moved one make into the shorter range. The final annual tables linked above control all distance figures.
College kickoffs and touchbacks
| Season | KO | YDS | AVG | TB | TB % | OB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 34 | 2,102 | 61.8 | 15 | 44.1 | 2 |
| 2017 | 42 | 2,663 | 63.4 | 31 | 73.8 | 0 |
| 2018 | 64 | 4,011 | 62.7 | 43 | 67.2 | 0 |
| Career | 140 | 8,776 | 62.7 | 89 | 63.6 | 2 |
KO = kickoffs; YDS = kickoff distance; AVG = yards per kickoff; TB = touchbacks; OB = kicks out of bounds. Career averages and touchback percentages use the combined counts, so 8,776 yards ÷ 140 kickoffs = 62.7 yards per kickoff and 89 ÷ 140 = 63.6% touchbacks.
The same final annual tables also credit McLaughlin with two punts for 69 yards: a 37-yard touchback in 2017 and a 32-yarder inside the 20 in 2018. Those punts are separate from his kickoff totals.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Identity and early years: the current Buccaneers roster, Illinois player biography and 2018 Illinois commencement program, PDF p. 52, which lists Chase Joseph McLaughlin.
- NFL journey: Tampa Bay’s 2023 signing announcement, 2024 contract announcement and Vikings connection notes.
- Record kicks and honors: the 65-yard field-goal feature, official highlight, 2024 scoring review and the weekly-award announcements linked above. The outdoor NFL record description is dated to the 2025 kick.
- Education: Illinois’s April 2019 career summary confirms his completed bachelor’s degree; its May 2019 diploma announcement confirms his master’s degree.
- Community: the team’s 2025 My Cause My Cleats list and June 2025 Cut & Color event gallery.
- NFL statistics: official Buccaneers career records, the final 2023 team report, all eight 2026 NFL gamebooks through Week 8 and three actual postseason gamebooks. The table notes explain the distance-bin corrections and percentage calculations.
- College statistics: original Illinois final cumulative tables for 2016, 2017 and 2018; final 2018 participation notes; and the original 2017 Iowa gamebook. The notes distinguish his redshirt and nonplaying years, correct the appearance and extra-point totals, and identify the final distance records.
- Portrait: the current official Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster image.
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season statistics stop after November 1, 2026, Week 8; preseason is excluded. NFL postseason statistics are separate from regular-season totals. Field-goal and extra-point percentages are calculated from makes and attempts; career longest kicks are maxima, not sums. Historical records and rankings are dated where stated.