The Arizona Cardinals will have a very difficult decision to make if kicker Matt Prater is able to return from injured reserve before the end of the season.
He has missed the last six games and has been on IR for the required four games and could be selected to return next week and activated for the game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon said he expects Prater to play again this season and that Prater is “eager to get back on the field.”
But as great as Prater has been in his career, he is 40 years old and will be a free agent after the season.
Meanwhile, Chad Ryland, Prater's replacement for the past six weeks, was fantastic, hitting all 13 of his extra points and 11 of 12 field goals, including three game-winning goals.
Ryland is young, has leg strength (he ran for 57 yards this season) and has proven he has grip.
He is under contract through next season, although even if he wasn't and made it through the end of the season with the team, he would be an exclusive free agent.
Ryland appears to be the kicker of the near future for Arizona.
But if Prater returns and they cut Ryland, they will almost certainly lose him to another team that needs a reliable kicker or whose starting kicker is injured.
After the cut, the Cardinals have no control over what happens to Ryland.
So they have to decide if having Prater for the rest of the season is better and more valuable than having Ryland now and beyond when Prater can actually return.
The Prater is one of the biggest kickers ever. Ryland was great this year but struggled as a rookie in 2023 with New England.
As the Cardinals fight for the postseason over the next few weeks, this may be the toughest roster decision they make.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and more by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe to , or .
