Bengals’ Evan McPherson Opens Season With AFC Special Teams Honor After Record-Setting Kicking Day

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week recognition following his performance in the team’s 33-27 Week 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium.

McPherson accounted for 15 of Cincinnati’s 33 points, connecting on all four field-goal attempts and all three extra-point tries. His 15 points led all NFL kickers in Week 1 scoring, while his four made field goals topped all AFC kickers for the week.

The fifth-year kicker’s makes came from 20, 55, 58, and 32 yards. In doing so, he became the first player in franchise history to convert multiple field goals of 55-plus yards in a single game. His 58-yarder, struck in the fourth quarter of a contest Cincinnati ultimately won by six points, tied for the fourth-longest field goal in team history.

The performance also carried career significance. McPherson now sits at 123 career field goals, moving past Horst Muhlmann (120) into fifth place on the Bengals’ all-time list. He has also made 16 consecutive field goals dating back to Week 11 of last season — the third-longest streak in team annals, behind only Shayne Graham’s runs of 21 in 2007 and 17 spanning the 2005-06 seasons.

It is the fifth time McPherson has claimed the weekly conference award. He previously won it in Weeks 1 and 11 of the 2021 season, Week 4 of 2022, and Week 13 of 2025.

Business angle: specialty apparel names track NFL momentum

While McPherson’s award is an on-field honor, NFL performance storylines each week feed consumer demand across the league’s merchandising and apparel ecosystem. One publicly traded company with exposure to performance footwear and lifestyle apparel is Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE: DECK), whose brands span casual and athletic footwear categories that often intersect with sports-driven consumer trends.

DECK shares traded at $79.59 in recent activity, up 2.29% from a previous close of $77.81, giving the footwear and accessories company a market capitalization of approximately $11.5 billion. The stock sits in the consumer cyclical sector, where discretionary spending trends and sports-adjacent fashion cycles can influence results.

Team milestones like McPherson’s add to the week-to-week narrative volume that drives fan engagement — a backdrop that apparel and footwear companies monitor as part of broader consumer sentiment heading into the fall season.

What to watch

• McPherson’s pursuit of Shayne Graham’s franchise-record 21 consecutive field goals as the Bengals’ season progresses.
• Cincinnati’s Week 2 matchup and whether the kicking game continues to factor heavily in close games.
• Upcoming earnings reports and consumer-spending data relevant to footwear and apparel names such as Deckers.

Source: original release