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Matt McCrane, pictured kicking for the Oakland Raiders in 2018, made UFL history on Saturday with the DC Defenders.

The United Football League (UFL) may not generate many headlines, but occasionally it does feature a headline-grabbing individual performance. The latest belongs to former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Matt McCrane.

McCrane nailed a 60-yard field goal in the DC Defenders’ 16-10 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks on Saturday. As if that wasn’t interesting enough, the successful kick counted for four points — instead, of course, the typical three — as part of a new league rule.

 

What is the UFL’s Rule Change on Field Goals?

The UFL revised its rules this season to award four points for field goals of 60 yards or longer. The change was aimed to create more strategy and potentially increase the excitement of the games.

The distance was no issue for McCrane, 31, who easily cleared the goalposts from 60 yards to open the scoring. Most notably, McCrane is the first kicker to hit from that distance since the rule change.

Another new rule installed this year prohibits any team that passes the 50-yard line from punting on that end of the field. This means that teams must go for it on fourth down or attempt a field goal.

 

When Did Matt McCrane Kick for the Steelers?

The well-traveled McCrane was on the Steelers briefly in 2018. Signed after Chris Boswell landed on injured reserve, McCrane appeared in a Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He converted all three field goals and his lone extra-point attempt in a 16-13 win.

McCrane has also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. After being released from Detroit’s practice squad in 2024, McCrane signed with the Defenders.

Across his time in the NFL, McCrane is 8-for-12 on field goals with a career-long of 44 yards. The Kansas State product has also hit all 31 extra-point tries.

The Steelers released McCrane in the 2019 offseason. He was drafted in the XFL Supplemental Draft by the New York Guardians the following November but was released when the league suspended operations.

Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour

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