Janikowski’s 76-Yard Miss Is Widely Credited as the NFL’s Longest Attempt

Sebastian Janikowski’s 76-yard attempt for the Oakland Raiders against the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2008, is widely credited as the longest field goal attempt in NFL history. It came on the final play of the first half—and fell short. ESPN’s historical account says Janikowski is believed to have attempted the longest field goal in an NFL game; that qualification matters when describing this historical distinction. ESPN; historical attempt compilation

It is not the longest successful field goal. As of October 3, 2026, that regular-season mark belongs to Jacksonville’s Cam Little, who made a 68-yarder against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 2, 2025. Jaguars player biography

Why Oakland tried a 76-yard field goal

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin let the first-half clock run down to one second, called timeout and sent Janikowski out. The attempt was 13 yards beyond the successful NFL record of 63 yards at the time. Los Angeles Times

Oakland led 15–0, so this was not a desperate attempt to avoid defeat. It was a chance to add points before halftime from an extraordinary distance. Contemporary game recap

There was some basis for trusting Janikowski’s range. The previous season, he had struck an upright on a 64-yard attempt at the same stadium, kicking in the same direction. The Times also reported that he had made kicks of 73 or 74 yards in practice. Neither was proof that he could convert from 76 yards under game conditions. Los Angeles Times

Kiffin acknowledged the odds: “It’s a very low percentage, obviously.” He said the Raiders had practiced covering the kick and believed they could prevent a damaging return. His reasoning involved both the chance of three points and what would happen if Janikowski missed. Los Angeles Times

The kick did not even reach the goal line, according to the contemporary game recap. Oakland went into halftime still ahead 15–0 but eventually lost 28–18. The attempt’s historical distinction was its distance, not its contribution to the score. ABC7 game recap

The earlier 74-yard attempt used a different rule

Before Janikowski’s try, Mark Moseley had attempted a 74-yard field goal for Washington against the New York Giants on November 25, 1979. ESPN identifies that earlier attempt, while the historical compilation at Quirky Research records it as a fair-catch kick that fell short. ESPN; Quirky Research

That matters when comparing the plays. A fair-catch kick follows a fair catch and does not require a snap, so there is no snap-to-holder distance to add. A successful kick still counts as a field goal. Under Rule 11, Section 4, Article 3, the receiving team’s kick line is 10 yards ahead of the kicking team’s line. Quirky Research; NFL rulebook

Janikowski’s 76-yarder was a conventional attempt from scrimmage, not a fair-catch kick. Historical attempt compilation

Attempted, made and preseason are separate answers

Little also made a 70-yard field goal in a preseason game against Pittsburgh on August 9, 2025. That kick counted in the exhibition’s score, but not toward the regular-season record. It was still six yards shorter than Janikowski’s unsuccessful attempt. Associated Press report

For the history of kicks that actually cleared the crossbar, see the longest field goal in NFL history. Janikowski’s widely credited distinction is different: a 76-yard attempt that scored no points.