When the field goal unit takes the field late in the game, Cowboy fans can breath a sigh of relief. We have the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history on our team.
He is our Beyond the Clock, undrafted wonder: number 5, Dan Bailey.
Dan Bailey was signed following the 2011 Draft to the Dallas Cowboys on July 25th as an undrafted free agent.
He was called upon to handle kickoffs after David Buehler, the kicker at the time taken in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, injured his groin midway through the season.
Bailey responded by notching 24 touchbacks on 64 kickoffs, eventually earning him the starting position on kickoffs and field goals.
He ended up coming in clutch more times than not.
Bailey sealed the deal in the week 3 18–16 win over the Washington Redskins, a game in which he scored every point for Dallas. This was the first time since 2001 that the Cowboys won a game without reaching the endzone. He became the third rookie in NFL history to make six field goals in a game, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Bailey would go on to complete one of the best kicking seasons in franchise and league history by a rookie, making 32-of-37 (86.5%) field goals. He set a Cowboys rookie record for most field goals made in a season (32) and in a game (6).
On January 23, 2014, Bailey and the Cowboys agreed on a new seven-year contract. Bailey’s new contract is worth $22.5 million with a $4 million signing bonus and a total of $6.6 million in guaranteed money. There were outside critics who thought that this was too much money to give a kicker, but Bailey has proven himself worthy every penny.
On October 12, 2014, Bailey became the most-accurate kicker in NFL history with a 48-yard field goal in the 1st quarter of the Cowboy’s 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks. It was also in that game that Bailey made a 56 yard field goal, his longest of his career.
Most recently, Bailey earned another NFC Special Teams player of the Week award because of his game against the Redskins on December 7, 2015. Bailey hit four of four field goals, including a game-winning 54-yard field goal with seconds remaining, to lift the Cowboys to a 19-16 win on Monday Night Football.
Through week 15, Bailey was 28/29 in field goals and was selected to his first career Pro Bowl.
To date, Bailey has 636 total points on his career. He’s converted every extra point attempt and made 144 out of 159 field goal attempts.
Dan Bailey is one of the greatest Cowboys and NFL kickers in history, making him a true undrafted wonder.
He sure looked like garbage in his playoff games. Just saying show up during the playoffs. 1 out of 3.