Austin Seibert goes from kicking at a pine tree to 7 for 7 in his first game with Washington

Austin Seibert does not even search out a football field with uprights to practice field goals anymore.

Instead, he aims for a pine tree in a lot next to his house in Illinois.

“I just tell myself to hit the tree,” Seibert said. “We go like three days a week. My wife will film me. My daughter will be out there with us, too, and we’ll hit like 25 to 30 balls. Yeah, it’s fun. It’s a family event.”

It turned out to be tremendous preparation for his latest chance in the NFL. Seibert made all seven of his field-goal attempts in his Washington Commanders debut, scoring all their points in their first win of the season just days after signing with them. On Wednesday, he was selected as the NFC special teams player of the week.

From being out of a job Week 1 to getting hoisted on his brand-new teammates' shoulders was quite the turnaround for the 27-year-old who has bounced around the league since 2019.

“That's why you stay ready at all times,” Seibert said. “That’s kind of the nature of the beast right now in the kicking world. It’s just so competitive. You have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.”

This opportunity came wearing a burgundy and gold No. 3 jersey that from 1974-86 was worn by All-Pro and Super Bowl-winning kicker Mark Moseley, whose roommate defensive lineman Dave Butz. Seibert is represented by Butz's son, David, whose family has been tight with the Moseleys for decades.

The Commanders called Butz about Seibert after Cade York missed each of his two field-goal attempts in their season-opening loss at Tampa Bay. They did not feel the need to bring in Seibert for a workout because they were plenty familiar with him from joint practices and a preseason game against the New York Jets.

Coach Dan Quinn credited general manager Adam Peters for making the decision but vividly remembers Seibert “in the rain, hitting some big ones” last month when he and his team were at the Jets practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.

“We had a good evaluation of him,” Quinn said. “He was one of the players that we had targeted if we were going to do something, and so it was part of that process from all the way back.”

Seibert is the fifth kicker to be on Washington's roster since January. Joey Slye, brought in by the previous regime, left as a free agent; Brandon McManus was released after he was sued in civil court alleging he sexually assaulting two women while they were serving as flight attendants on Jacksonville's trip to London last year; Ramiz Ahmed and Riley Patterson came and went during the offseason and York lasted one game.

“I think pretty much everyone knew that there were some kickers here before me, and I can’t think about it that way,” Seibert said. “That’s their story. That’s what they’re doing. This is my story. And yeah, sure, you think about that, but at the end of the day, I’m writing my own story.”

After a college career at Oklahoma, Seibert spent his first full pro season with Cleveland and has since also kicked for Cincinnati, Detroit and the Jets. He made roughly 80% of his attempts.

On Sunday, he was 100%, connecting from 27, 45, 26, 27, 29, 33 and 30 yards, including the game-winner as time expired.

“I appreciate you,” quarterback Jayden Daniels said. "He’s very new to this team. He’s a good kicker. I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Daniels is not alone. Six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner called it a special performance and something he has never seen before.

Washington next visits Cincinnati on Monday night, and the lights will again be shining on Seibert to do his job. Going 7 for 7 in his first game guarantees nothing but the next opportunity.

“What he did establish, right away, (is) that he’s somebody to be counted upon,” Quinn said Monday. “We’re in a performance business and that all counts, but man, you couldn’t have had a better start than him.”