New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said on Thursday that he wants FC Bayern striker Harry Kane to try out as an NFL kicker after his football career ends, BILD reported.
“That would be pretty cool! You always see how footballers—both men and women, for example the US female soccer players—just kick the ball from 50 or 60 yards away,” Maye said during a press conference at Säbener Straße after the team’s first training session in Munich.
“I think it would be cool to see that with him once,” Maye told BILD.
Kane is currently under contract with FC Bayern through June 2029. The England captain told The Athletic in September that that is something he will look into a little more seriously.
The New England Patriots are currently in Munich to prepare for their upcoming game in the Allianz Arena against the Detroit Lions. The matchup is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local time, broadcast via RTL, Sky, the NFL Game Pass, and a BILD live ticker, though Kane was away on international duty with the English national team during the training sessions.
Maye pointed to Kane’s composure under pressure as a primary asset for an NFL special teams role. The striker serves as the designated penalty taker for Bayern, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team.
“Pressure is one of the biggest issues with kicking in the NFL. But he knows that. That’s why I honestly don’t think he would have any problems with it,” Maye told BILD. “I’ve seen him kick a few times, he does it pretty well. So, no question: I’m sure he would manage that without any problems.”
A transition to the NFL would position Kane strictly as a specialist rather than a position player required to throw passes or absorb tackles. His role would involve executing field goals from 45 to 55 yards for three points, extra points worth one point following a touchdown, and kickoffs.
Several former soccer players have previously transitioned to American football roles. Former Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen striker Manni Burgsmüller played as a kicker for Düsseldorf Rhein Fire in the NFL Europe from 1996 to 2002.
Former FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper Horst Mühlmann played in the NFL from 1969 through 1977, appearing for the Cincinnati Bengals until 1974 and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1975 to 1977 after making 34 Bundesliga appearances.
