Who Should I Start? Lenny Krieg or Ryan Fitzgerald

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Tuesday, June 17, 2:34 PM

The Carolina Panthers' kicking competition is on between veteran Matthew Wright and rookie Ryan Fitzgerald, and Joe Person of The Athletic believes the youngster has the leg up so far this offseason. Fitzgerald went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft and was picked up by Carolina shortly after. Over his final two seasons at Florida State, he connected on 32 of his 34 field goal attempts and all 72 extra point tries. He did not miss any of his 18 total kicks a season ago. In his first NFL offseason, he continues to find success. "[Dave] Canales said it's too soon to name a leader in the kicking competition, but Fitzgerald appears to have the edge on veteran Matthew Wright, based on how each looked during the practices open to the media," Person wrote. "After a tough first week in rainy and windy conditions, Fitzgerald was 9-for-10 on field goals on the skinny goal posts over the next two practices with reporters present." If Carolina's offense takes a big step forward under third-year quarterback Bryce Young, the team's starting kicker could have solid fantasy football value.