After USA Women’s soccer player Carli Lloyd kicked a 55-yard field goal at a Philadelphia Eagles practice last week, rumors started to fly that she may play in the NFL one day. This would be a huge milestone for the NFL as she would be the first woman to play in the league.
While she isn’t considering playing in the 2019 season, 2020 is definitely a possibility. The news adds to an already stellar year for Lloyd as her US Women’s soccer team won the World Cup this year.
Huge Opportunity for the NFL
Having a female play in the NFL would be absolutely huge for the league. People would be tuning in on TV and attending games just to see Lloyd play.
The move would surely bring a lot of publicity to the NFL, which would result in an increase in revenue. The discussion itself has brought lots of attention to the matter.
The possibility became a reality after Lloyd received a text message from an NFL general manager inviting her to potentially play in a preseason game. Another team had also reached out to her about joining the roster.
Lloyd’s Career
The 37-year-old has already had quite the prestigious career. She is a two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, and a World Cup Golden Ball winner. Not to mention, she is one of the all-time leading scorers for the USA Women’s soccer team.
The signing of an NFL deal would only make the list of her achievements even greater. Expect Lloyd to train extremely hard during the next year if she decides this is the route she wants to take.
Potential Landing Spot
The first team that comes to mind that Lloyd could have a roster spot on is the Chicago Bears. A team which had a slew of field-goal nightmares last season would love the addition of a consistent kicker.
The Bears lost to the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs last season after kicker Cody Parkey’s kick was tipped and fell just short of crossing the bar for the game-winner. The team will hope to figure out something for this season as having a consistent kicker in the NFL is essential.
Many Unknowns Remain
As the USA Women’s soccer team looks to hire a new coach soon, Lloyd’s role with the team remains unknown. This is one of the biggest factors in her joining the NFL as she may view the soccer team as her first priority.
Even with the impressive 55-yard field goal, it’s a lot harder to translate a kick of this distance into a game. There are many factors that come into play when it’s an in-game play.
Lloyd has never been on an NFL field with 22 players ready to give it their all at the snap of the ball. The pressure can be absolutely astonishing when it comes down to crunch time.
A lot of the time in an NFL game, a single kick may determine the result of a game, or even a season. Nerves tend to set in, the fans are going wild, and the whole fan base is depending on you.
Whether or not Lloyd is ready to take on this challenge will be seen at a later date, but regardless, this is very exciting news. Having the first female player in the NFL would be groundbreaking and a truly special moment for sports history.
-
Tags:
