We’re 13 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster will have a profile page leading up to roster cuts. Check out previous player profiles here.

The next player on the countdown is the highest-paid specialist on the squad.

Evan McPherson Player Profile

Age: 27
Year: 6th
Position: Kicker
College: Florida
Jersey Number: 2

Evan McPherson was originally selected No. 149 overall in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, McPherson played three years in college at Florida (2018-2020). He only missed four total kicks in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. His field goal percentage dropped as a senior when he went 17-22, but four of his makes were beyond 50 yards which became a Florida single-season record. He left Gainesville as the SEC’s all-time leader in FG percentage at 85% for kickers with at least 50 attempts.

McPherson’s pro career has been a mix of great and worrisome. He was a perfect 14-14 kicking in his very first postseason as a rookie after converting 84.8% of his attempts in the regular season. He made 83.3% of his attempts from 2022-23, and then hit a wall in 2024 with a conversion rate of 72.7%. That he signed an extension earlier in the year made the down year even worse.

Cincinnati stuck by McPherson in 2025, but he needed a bounce back year in the worst of ways. He delivered with his best-ever field goal percentage of 89.3%. He only missed three attempts all season, and all of them were beyond 50 yards.

Contract details

McPherson is entering the second year of his three-year, $16,500,000 extension he signed back in 2024. His base salary is $2,800,000, and he’s already earned $100,000 as a workout bonus this offseason. His total cash figure for the season is $2,900,000. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $1,250,000, and option bonus proration $833,333, of his salary cap hit for the year is $4,983,333.

Roster outlook

The Bengals managed nine wins during McPherson’s worst year as a pro. They only won six games last year when he was one of the most accurate kickers in the league. Everyone’s striving for both sides to put their best foot forward this season.

McPherson’s struggles were rightfully concerning as kickers sometimes never get out of their slumps. The 27-year-old proved he was capable when the pressure was on him more than ever. Cincinnati will continue riding the right leg of its top specialist.

Roster odds: 100%