Is There A Female Kicker In The NFL?

It’s a question that has been asked for years – is there a female kicker in the NFL? The answer is no, not yet. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

The History of Women in the NFL

In the NFL’s 100 year history, there has never been a female player. Although women have been playing football for almost just as long as men, the NFL has been unwilling to give them a shot at playing in the league. In this article, we will take a look at the history of women in the NFL and see if there is a chance we could see a female player in the near future.

The first woman to play in the NFL

On November 8, 1987, Kathryn Johnston became the first woman to play in an NFL game. She did so as a replacement for the New Orleans Saints kicker, Morten Andersen.

In the years since then, a handful of other women have made appearances in NFL games. In 2012, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate an NFL game. In 2015, Jen Welter became the first woman to coach in an NFL game when she served as a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals during their preseason games.

There are currently no women playing in the NFL. However, there have been several female kicking specialists who have been signed by NFL teams to compete for roster spots in recent years. These include Lauren Silberman, who was signed by the New York Jets in 2013, and Lindsey Jones, who was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.

Women who have played in the NFL

The first woman to ever play in an NFL game was Jackie Mitchell, who pitched for the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees in 1931. In the 1970s, several women tried out for NFL teams, but no one was ever given a contract.

In 1985, Lori McCarthy became the first woman to be drafted by an NFL team when she was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 12th round of the USFL draft. However, she never played in a regular season game.

In 1987, Denise Long become the first woman to kick in an NFL game when she kicked two extra points for the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. She was cut from the team during training camp and never played in another NFL game.

In 2003, Katie Hill became the first woman to play in a regular season game when she caught one pass for six yards for the New York Jets in a game against the Washington Redskins. She played one more season with the Jets before being released.

Currently, there are no women playing in the NFL. However, there have been several women who have recently been signed to NFL practice squads, including Sarah Thomas (New Orleans Saints), Allison Ayles (Oakland Raiders) and Lauren Silver (New England Patriots).

The Current state of Women in the NFL

As of the 2019 season, there has never been a female kicker in the NFL. Although, there have been female participants in other capacities such as return specialists and assistant coaches. In the history of the NFL, there has been only one woman who has ever suited up for a game and that was Katie Sowers of the San Francisco ers. She became the first woman to both play and coach in the NFL when she took the field against the Denver Broncos in 2019.

The number of women playing in the NFL

The number of women playing in the NFL has increased steadily over the past few years. In 2020, there were 11 women on NFL rosters, including 9 active players and 2 inactive players. This is the highest number of women in the NFL ever. The vast majority of these women are kickers or punters, which reflects the fact that kicking positions are still largely dominated by men.

There are currently no female quarterbacks in the NFL, but there have been a few who have been drafted or signed as undrafted free agents. One of the most notable is Samantha Gordon, who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. There has also been an increase in thenumber of female coaches in the NFL, with Kathryn Smith becoming the first full-time female coach in 2016.

Despite these advances, women are still greatly outnumbered by men in the NFL. In 2020, there were 1,696 men on NFL rosters, while there were only 11 women. This represents a ratio of 155 to 1. There is still a long way to go before women are truly equal to men in the NFL.

The number of women coaching in the NFL

The number of women coaching in the NFL has increased steadily over the past few years. In 2019, there were 8 full-time female coaches in the NFL out of a total of 64. This means that women made up 12.5% of all NFL coaches, which is up from 10% in 2018 and just 3% in 2015. While this is still a relatively small number, it is encouraging to see the trend moving in the right direction.

There are also now 4 women serving as assistant coaches in the NFL, which is double the number from 2018. One of these assistant coaches is Katie Sowers, who became the first openly gay coach in NFL history when she came out in 2017. Katie is also believed to be the first woman to ever coach in a Super Bowl when she served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

At present, there are no female head coaches or general managers in the NFL. However, this could change in the near future as there are several highly qualified women currently working as assistant coaches and front office executives around the league. One name to keep an eye on is Sarah Thomas, who became the first full-time female official in NFL history back in 2015. Sarah has already made history again by becoming the first woman to ever officiate a Super Bowl game when she worked Super Bowl LIV earlier this year.

The number of women officiating in the NFL

The NFL has made a concerted effort to hire more female officials in recent years. In the 2015 season, there were 27 women officiating NFL games, up from only two in 2007. The number of female officials is still small compared to the overall number of officials, but it represents a significant increase.

The trend of hiring more female officials appears to be continuing. In 2016, the NFL hired Sarah Thomas as the first full-time female official. Thomas had previously been an official in college football and had officiated NFL preseason games on a part-time basis. The hiring of Thomas was widely seen as a positive step for the NFL in terms of increasing diversity among its officials.

In 2017, the NFL further increased its efforts to hire female officials by launching a officiating development program specifically for women. The program, which is run by the NFL’s officiating department, provides training and development opportunities for aspiring female officials. It is designed to help prepare them for positions in the NFL officiating ranks.

So far, the results of the program have been encouraging. In 2018, eight women participated in the program and four of them were hired by the NFL as game day officials. This is an increase from 2017, when two women participated in the program and one was hired by the NFL.

The hiring of female officials is not without its detractors though. Some have argued that the quality of officiating has suffered as a result of :the lower physical standards required for women.” Others have claimed that :the vast majority of football fans do not want to see women officiating games.”

Despite these claims, there is no evidence that suggests that the quality of officiating has suffered as a result of hiring more female officials. And while it is impossible to know how all football fans feel about this issue, surveys have shown that most people are supportive of hiring more women as officials.

The bottom line is that hiring more female officials is good for business and it is good for diversity. The NFL should be commended for its efforts in this area, and it should continue to expand its efforts in order to ensure that even more women have an opportunity to officiate at the highest level

The Future of Women in the NFL

Despite the overwhelming odds, Sarah Thomas became the first female football official in the NFL in 2015. She made history again in 2019 when she became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. These milestones bring hope to aspiring female football players everywhere. Nevertheless, the journey to the NFL is no easy feat, regardless of gender. So, what does the future hold for women in the NFL?

The possibility of a woman playing in the NFL

In recent years, there have been a number of women who have made headlines for their athleticism and skill in playing football. This has led many to wonder if there is a possibility of a woman playing in the NFL.

There are currently no women on any NFL roster, but that does not mean it is impossible. In 2015, Sarah Thomas became the first female official in the NFL, and in 2019, Alyssa Milano became the first woman to call an NFL game on television. There are also a number of women who have played in professional football leagues, such as the now-defunct Women’s Professional Football League and the Independent Women’s Football League.

The main obstacle for a woman playing in the NFL is simply that there are no tryouts or draftCombine for females. If a woman wants to play in the NFL, she would need to be signed by a team as an undrafted free agent. While this is possible, it is unlikely given the current state of women’s football. However, if more women continue to excel at the sport, it is possible that an NFL team will take a chance on signing a female player in the future.

The possibility of a woman coaching in the NFL

In recent years, the possibility of a woman coaching in the NFL has become more of a reality. In 2015, the Arizona Cardinals made history when they hired Jen Welter as a training camp/preseason coaching intern. Although she was with the team for such a short time, her impact was significant. In an interview with AZ Central Sports, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said, “Jen did a great job. She knows football, obviously. Her passion for it is contagious and that’s what I saw in her work.”

Welter’s hiring brought hope to many women who aspire to coach in the NFL one day. If Welter could do it, maybe they could too. But despite her success, Welter is still the only woman to have ever coached in the NFL…at least for now.

There have been other women who have been hired by NFL teams in leadership roles, such as Katie Sowers of the San Francisco 49ers and Sarah Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. But as far as actual coaching positions go, Welter is still the only woman to have held one down…for now.

The tide may be turning though. In 2019, eight women were hired by NFL teams as part-time or full-time coaching interns. This is the most women to ever be hired by NFL teams in this capacity and it shows that progress is being made.

Although there are no female coaches currently in the NFL, it seems only a matter of time before that changes. With more women being hired by teams in coaching internships and other leadership roles, it’s only a matter of time before we see a female coach on an NFL sideline…maybe even sooner than we think.

The possibility of a woman officiating in the NFL

The idea of a woman officiating an NFL game is not as far-fetched as it may seem. In 2015, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a major college football game. Shannon Eastin was the first woman to officiate an NFL preseason game in 2012. There has even been a female head coach in the NFL, Jennet Nohelty-Crowe with the Baltimore Mariollas in 2004.

There are currently no female officials in the NFL, but that could change in the future. In an interview with Time Magazine, Dean Blandino, the former head of officiating for the NFL said that he could see a woman officiating an NFL game within the next five to ten years.

If a woman were to become an NFL official, she would face many challenges. She would have to be just as good as her male counterparts and she would have to gain the respect of players, coaches and fans. There are also many physical challenges that come with being an NFL official. They have to be able to keep up with the players and they have to be able to make quick decisions.

The possibility of a woman officiating an NFL game is not as far-fetched as it may seem. There are many talented women officials who are already working their way up through the ranks of college and professional football. It is only a matter of time before we see a woman on an NFL field wearing the stripes.