Bengals’ Continuity Persists with Mike Nugent Deal
Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals kicker Mike Nugent (2) kicks a field goal late in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Bengals beat the Texans 22-19. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Nugent has been a very familiar face in Cincinnati for the past five seasons and it looks like he will continue to be in 2015. NFL.com reports a two-year, $4 million deal between Nugent and the Bengals; the deal includes up to $1 million in incentives.
Those following the Bengals should remember his performance early last season. Nugent battled through the struggles including a missed game winning field goal against the Carolina Panthers in overtime that lead to a tie. He also went one for four against the Atlanta Falcons and had people, including me, calling for his head.
However, after his miss against the Panthers, Nugent only missed one field goal on 14 attempts and became one of the most accurate kickers from Week 8 to Week 16, which included a streak of 12 straight successful field goals. Geoff Hobson reported via twitter late last night that the deal was all but signed.
I like the signing, but do not like the deal. I think $2 million a year for a kicker that had his struggles early on is a bit too much. I would have loved to see less money in the deal and more incentive money, but the improvement he showed displayed his ability to overcome even the worst en route to becoming a valuable asset to this team. If he can pick up where he left off, then the Bengals made the right move and I will look forward to seeing the “Scarlet and Grey” kicker back in stripes.