Chase McLaughlin
K #44 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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About Chase McLaughlin
Chase McLaughlin kicks footballs for a living and every single one of them takes years off the lives of Tampa Bay fans. The kicker experience in the NFL is binary. You are either a hero or a villain, and the transition between the two takes approximately 1.3 seconds. McLaughlin has hit clutch field goals from 50-plus yards that made him a god for a weekend and missed chip shots that turned him into a cautionary tale by Tuesday. "Money McLaughlin" is the nickname fans use when he connects. They have other names for him when he doesn't.
Kickers occupy a strange space in football culture. They are the only players whose entire career can be defined by a single moment in a single game. McLaughlin has the leg to hit from deep, which creates a specific kind of drama when Tampa faces a long fourth-quarter attempt. The snap, the hold, the kick, and then 65,000 people holding their breath for three seconds. When it goes through, the stadium erupts. When it doesn't, the stadium sounds like a funeral home. There is no middle ground. McLaughlin lives in that gap between euphoria and despair, one kick at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are kicker memes so popular in NFL fan culture?
Because kickers carry the most emotional weight per play of any position. A quarterback can throw three interceptions and still win. A kicker misses one field goal in the fourth quarter and that's the entire story of the game. McLaughlin's ability to hit long-range kicks adds extra tension because Tampa will send him out for 53-yarders that have no business being attempted, and then the entire fanbase watches through their fingers. The binary nature of kicking is perfect for memes. Hero or villain, no in-between.
Last updated: April 2026