Raiders officially announce a multi-year extension with All Pro punter AJ Cole
Raiders officially announce a multi-year extension with All Pro punter AJ Cole
It's official. Raiders will hold onto their latest elite punter for a long time to come.
Wednesday the team officially announced they have signed punter AJ Cole to a multi-year extension. The deal is a reported four-year contract which makes Cole the NFL's highest paid punter.
The deal is well-deserved as Cole has proven himself to be the NFL's best punter over the past four seasons.
It's been an impressive rise for the former undrafted free agent tryout player.
That's right, he didn't just go undrafted. He had to try out for the team in rookie minicamp back in 2019 to earn a contract.
From there he's gone on to be twice named AP First Team All-Pro (2021, 2023) and head to three straight Pro Bowls (2021-23).
Cole has topped the NFL in several areas since he joined the league in 2019 including his 48.6 yards per punt and 44.7% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
His 50.8 yards per punt average last season is tied for the second-best in Raiders history (min. 50 punts) and the fifth highest single-season average in NFL history.
No franchise in football has had more great punters than the Raiders. Starting with Ray Guy who is the only ever full time punter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and continuing with Shane Lechler who has the best shot at becoming the second ever punter in Canton.
Between Lechler and Cole, the Raiders have absolutely dominated the punting game in the NFL this milennium.
Expect this stat to hold at least until 2030 with Cole's extension keeping him in Silver & Black until 2029.
With the Raiders having signed AJ Cole to an extension, who could be next to get an extension in Las Vegas?
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