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Football may be a game of inches, but some players have to commit to the long game.
Long snappers can be a forgotten -- and thankless -- position in football. They may only get on the field for a handful of plays each game, and for the most part, they go completely under the radar unless they make a critical mistake.
What goes into being an NFL long snapper, and what does their job entail? Here's a look at one of the more unique roles in football.
What is a long snapper?
A long snapper is a center on special teams who snaps the ball to a holder or punter. They are also responsible for blocking following the snap, as well as punt coverage.
While a typical center hikes to a quarterback under center or snaps the ball a few yards in a shotgun or pistol formation, a long snapper is responsible for sending the ball a further distance. A long snap for a field goal or extra point is typically between 7-8 yards, while a snap to a punter is around 15 yards.
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When did NFL teams start using long snappers?
NFL
Long snapper was not its own position until the early 1970s, when Washington coach George Allen gave a roster spot to George Burman, according to Pro Football Reference.
Before that, the player who played center was also responsible for special team snaps.
Does every NFL team have a long snapper?
Nowadays, every NFL team has a long snapper on their roster.
Do long snappers get drafted?
NFL teams rarely use draft capital on long snappers, but it does happen.
The Kansas City Chiefs were the first NFL team to select a specialty snapper when they took Todd Thomas in the fifth round of the 1981 draft.
Camaron Cheeseman was the last long snapper to hear his name called in the NFL draft, as the Washington Football Team used a sixth-round pick on him in 2021. No long snapper has been selected across the last three NFL drafts.
How much do long snappers get paid?
On average, NFL long snappers get paid just over $1 million annually. The salary range for long snappers in 2024 goes from $795,000 to $1.553 million, per Spotrac.
Joe Cardona of the New England Patriots is set to be the NFL's highest-paid long snapper this season at just over $1.5 million. In September 2023, the Indianapolis Colts signed long snapper Luke Rhodes to the richest contract in league history for a player at his position, giving him a four-year extension worth $6.465 million.
Do long snappers win awards?
Long snappers are eligible for season-long honors in the NFL.
Kendall Gammons was the first recorded long snapper to make the Pro Bowl, earning a selection in 2004 with the Chiefs. Other long snappers to reach the Pro Bowl include Tyler Ott, Rick Lovato, Brian Jennings and Jon Dorenbos.
The NFL made long snapper an All-Pro position in 2020, with Baltimore's Morgan Cox becoming the first first-team long snapper in league history. In 2023, Ross Matiscik of the Jacksonville Jaguars made the first team and Andrew DePaola of the Minnesota Vikings made the second team.
In college, long snappers can earn the Patrick Mannelly Award. Mannelly was the first player to be drafted explicitly as a long snapper and played 16 seasons with the Chicago Bears.
