When Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little drilled a 70-yard field goal in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, many fans believed that he could earn All-Pro honors by the end of the 2025-26 NFL campaign. But it is called preseason for a reason.

The 2024 sixth-round draft pick missed an extra point and a 50-yard field goal in Sunday's 20-12 home loss versus the Seattle Seahawks. He has now misfired on three FG attempts this year, quickly losing the aura of invincibility that permeated EverBank Stadium in August. The term sophomore slump is not often applied to placekickers, but Little has obviously taken a noticeable step back after a highly successful rookie season.

A rough outing can give way to a brutal stretch in this profession, and before one knows it, he is looking for new employment. Just look at 2021 consensus All-American Jake Moody, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers after Week 1. The Jaguars do not plan on changing kickers, however. Little himself is intent on using his latest scuffles to improve going forward.

Article Continues Below

“This is a good battle of adversity for me and my career,” the 2023 All-SEC selection with Arkansas said after the loss, per Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. “You obviously have to move on from mistakes and learn how to make kicks after missing. This will be a test for me bouncing back and being strong mentally.”

Cam Little is right. The best kickers are able to endure, and that is done by avoiding full-blown meltdowns. He has to quickly recover and re-discover the rhtyhem that allowed him to convert 27-of-29 field goals and all his extra point attempts last season. Jacksonville is much-improved in 2025, as illustrated by its 4-2 start and recent Monday Night Football victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, but it can only go so far with shaky kicking.

Next Sunday's showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, which will be contested England's legendary Wembley Stadium, could plausibly come down to a field goal. Perhaps a European expedition is just the type of excitement that Little needs to refocus and get back on track.