A few hours after the NFL Free Agency frenzy kicked off, it was announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars were signing kicker Wil Lutz to a three-year deal. A couple of hours later, it was announced that Lutz was returning to the Denver Broncos on a two-year deal, spurning Jacksonville in the process..
A plot twist: Source confirms that Wil Lutz will stay in Denver. The first plot twist of free agency. https://t.co/jjZuRZV20g
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024
The Broncos traded a 2024 7th-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for Lutz during the 2023-24 NFL preseason, and he was very accurate. Lutz had a good first season in Denver, and Sean Payton gets his guy back.
To be specific, Lutz, had the following stats during his first season with the Broncos:
- 30/34 field goals
- 88.2 field goal percentage
- 29/31 extra points
- 93.5 extra point percetage
- 52 yards - longest field goal
It was Lutz's best statistical season since 2019. Those stats include a game-winning field goal against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, which was originally missed, but thanks to a defensive penalty, the attempt was re-made, and in the second one, Lutz made it. One of the missed extra points was a blocked one in that same game against Buffalo.
Now, Jacksonville will be in the market for a new kicker, as former Bronco Brandon McManus is a free agent, as he signed just a one-year deal.
Wil Lutz's agent John Perla was the one who broke the news of the plot twist, as he said the following ...
""There was an agreement originally with Jacksonville and then it was redone with the Broncos. We didn’t have anything in writing. He just thought about it and decided that Jacksonville was not the right spot for him. Wil had a tremendous sense of loyalty to (Sean Payton) who had really helped him in his career. The Broncos were able to make it work so that Wil had a change in direction. Now he can continue what he's done with the team there. ... It was quite a day""John Perla - Wil Lutz's agent
Despite Jacksonville's deal being a three-year deal, he chose to get back to Denver on a shorter deal, to be specific, as I mentioned above, a two-year deal.
Denver gets their kicker back and that is the important thing.