Whether or not Chad Ryland kicks another ball for the Arizona Cardinals this season, he has contributed to their final record with three field goals in relief of Matt Prater in Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Ryland was on his couch a week ago, worked out for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday and signed with the Cardinals’ practice squad on Wednesday with Prater dealing with knee soreness.
Thus is the life of a kicker looking for a roster, but Ryland stepped in and hit the game-winning field from 35 yards out for a 24-23 win. And he did so after having a field-goal attempt blocked and returned for a touchdown in the first half, needing to put that aside and dial back in quickly for his team.
The kick is good! @AZCardinals take a 1-point lead with 1:37 to go 👀
📺: #AZvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/2ZHHnZev8K— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
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“You live for moments like those, because you get to go back and look at them down the road and remember what special game that it was,” Ryland told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo.
Ryland was not supposed to be in this position.
The New England Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Five kickers have been drafted in the first four rounds since 2006, but Ryland lasted only one year in New England before getting cut.
Ryland made 16-of-25 field goals for the Patriots in 2023, and he said calling it a decent season would be kind. He lost out on the job this year to veteran Joey Slye.
“I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked last year,” Ryland said. “Everything happens for a reason, and I’m super pumped to be where I’m at now because everything I went through last year has certainly prepared me to date. I’ll continue to carry the goods, the bads, everything in between with me as I continue to hopefully progress towards a 10-year career.”
“I think it’s just staying true to myself,” he added. “Something that made me a decent kicker in college was I figured out a routine, mentally, physically, the whole nine yards … and just not allowing anyone to force me into a mold of things that don’t work for me that other people might think work for me. I’ve taken the time and I’m passionate about my craft, and it’s just having that trust in myself.”
The Patriots called on Ryland to convert a 35-yard field goal to send a game to overtime against the New York Giants last November. He missed wide left, and the Patriots lost 10-7 to fall to 2-9 on the season.
Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. was his teammate in New England, so it was particularly sweet to see him come through when given a second chance.
“Once he made the kick yesterday, I ran up to him on the field, and obviously he was super pumped,” Wilson said. “He told me something, I’m not gonna say it, but I was super excited for the kid. He’s been through a lot, weathered the storm and he did a great job.”
Prater’s status and Ryland’s coincided immediate future with the Cardinals are a wait-and-see early in Week 6. The Cardinals face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and Prater’s status will be determined later in the week.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon told Burns & Gambo, “If he’s out there, we feel good about it. … I’ve only known him for about a week now, but I’ve been very impressed with how he handles his business.”
Prater is one of the most successful kickers of all-time and has drilled all six of his field-goal attempts this year. Having trust in an understudy is valuable, and Ryland said whether he is on the team or a free agent, he wants to focus on bettering himself as a player.