"I've got some time now" - USWNT legend Carli Lloyd says she's ready to play in the NFL
The NFL has been known as "the boys' club" for decades, but the league is finally opening up to the idea of female coaches and front office members. There was a record-setting 12 women on NFL coaching staffs in 2021 and now we seem close to having the first female player.
Tonight, Jennifer King will become the first female African American position coach in NFL history.
Now the WFT's Assistant RBs Coach, King's resume includes time with the Carolina Panthers, the AAF's Arizona Hotshots, and Dartmouth 🏈 https://t.co/hPR24719Rk
In an interview with TMZ Sports, US soccer legend Carli Lloyd expressed interest in trying her hand at being a kicker in the NFL. Lloyd retired from professional soccer in 2021 and says she has plenty of time now to follow a new career path.
"I've got some time now...we'll see what happens...leave the doors open. The NFL is a different beast. If there's one position I think women could potentially do, it's kicking field goals."
Carli Llyod is a decorated soccer player: a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time Olympian. She won two FIFA Women's World Cups and was named FIFA Player of the Year twice. She's quite the competitor and athlete but has also already shown the world what she's capable of as a kicker in the NFL.
During the Philadelphia Eagles training camp in 2019, Llyod appeared and took a crack at a 55-yard field goal. While it wasn't a live game with defenders and she got a running start similar to a kickoff rather than a field goal, she nailed the attempt right down the middle. She may have been able to hit from 45 yards consistently as an official kicker, which is better than some current players.
Some NFL teams are looking for a new kicker ... Carli Lloyd might be able to help them out 👀
(via @SInow) https://t.co/WJTVAjSqqy
Many kickers have a past in soccer, as there are very similar mechanics in both aspects. The league's top kicker, Justin Tucker, played soccer from the age of 3 until he was a sophomore in high school, before switching to football. Who is to say Carli Llyod wouldn't have a solid chance at making a roster with proper training?
Could any NFL teams currently benefit from Carli Lloyd's talent
Being a kicker in the NFL takes a mental toll on you, arguably as much as being a quarterback. In fact, a quarterback can whiff on a pass and then bounce back to have a pretty good game. A kicker may only have one field goal attempt, which could determine the fate of the game. There's a reason some teams constantly rotate kickers throughout the season.
There is one kicker currently 39 years old (Robbie Gould-49ers) and three who are 37. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots are going to have a need for a new leg in the near future. Others like the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets could simply use an upgrade. If Carli Lloyd is serious about this, and it seems like she is, she could join a team during the 2022 training camp and learn the proper mechanics and techniques from a veteran and possibly shadow them until they retire and replace them as the starter.