Thomas James Feely (born May 23, 1976) is an American former professional football player and politician. He started his playing career as a placekicker with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League (AFL) as a free agent in 1999 before playing for several National Football League (NFL) teams. Following his retirement until 2025, Feely worked as a reporter and analyst for the NFL on CBS.
Feely played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was also a member of the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm and in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. He was a member of the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team with the Falcons in 2001.
In 2025, Feely announced he would run for Arizona's 5th congressional district as a Republican in 2026. Later that same year, he announced he would instead run for the Arizona's 1st congressional district.
Early years
Feely attended Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. While there, he set Hillsborough County career and season records for field goals and extra points.
College career
Feely was a four-year letterman at the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1998. That season, he went 2-for-5 in field goal attempts and 8-for-13 in extra point attempts. He added three tackles (two solo) and forced a fumble. On April 12, he signed a one-year, $209,000 contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Although Jake Arians had been expected to be the Falcons' placekicker during the 2001 season, Feely won the job.
During his first season with the Dolphins, Feely experienced the most productive season of his career and in franchise history. He was released by the Dolphins on August 12, 2008.
Kansas City Chiefs
On August 25, 2008, Feely was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, and released one day later after two other potential kickers connected on more field goals in practice.
New York Jets
After New York Jets kicker Mike Nugent was injured in the team's Week 1 contest against the Miami Dolphins, they signed Feely on September 8, 2008. On November 13, Feely kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime against the New England Patriots; the Jets took sole possession of first place in the AFC East for the first time since November 19, 2001.
Through 10 games, Feely had made 16 of his 20 field goal attempts (80.0%), with an average of 35.1 yards and a long of 55 yards and converted all 23 PATs for a total of 71 points. Feely reportedly began working out his upper body five days a week in the Jets new training facility, saying, "I work out hard in the weight room just so I don't get injured." His workout primarily centered on deadlifts.
thumb|right|Feely in November 2008.
On March 4, 2009, Feely re-signed a one-year contract with the Jets.
In week six of the 2009 season against the Buffalo Bills, Feely broke Pat Leahy's record of 23 consecutive field goals, hitting his 24th. However, he missed his next attempt in the second-quarter, leaving the team record at 24.
On December 21, 2009, Feely went 0–2 in field goal attempts. He "shanked" a 38-yard try and had a 37-yarder blocked, as the Jets lost to the Atlanta Falcons 10–7.
Arizona Cardinals
Feely signed with the Arizona Cardinals on April 2, 2010.
On December 12, 2010, Feely became just the fourth kicker in 40 years to run for a touchdown, scoring on a fake field goal against the Denver Broncos. With his career-high day of five field goals and four extra points in the 43–13 victory, Feely contributed a total of 25 points, the most points scored by a player in a single game since October 21, 2007, when Rob Bironas scored 26 against the Houston Texans. On Christmas Day in 2010, Feely kicked a 48-yard field goal for a win over the Dallas Cowboys. On October 14, 2012, in a Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Feely hit a 61-yard field goal, setting a new career best. However, in the same game, his 38-yard field goal attempt was deflected with three seconds left in the fourth quarter, which the Cardinals went on to lose 16–19 in OT. Feely re-signed with the Cardinals for the 2014 season. The Cardinals released Feely on August 25, 2014.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears signed Feely on December 3, 2014, as injury cover for Robbie Gould when he was considered doubtful for a game against the Dallas Cowboys. Feely played the remaining four games of the season for the Chicago Bears, three of which were at Soldier Field.
Career regular season statistics
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="margin: auto; text-align:right; font-size:90%; width:800px;"
|-
! style="background:#dcdcdc;" colspan="17"| Regular season statistics
|- style="font-size:x-small;"
!Season||Team (record)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2001 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ATL (7–9)
|16 ||29 ||37 ||78.4 ||1–1 ||8–8 ||14–15 ||4–9 ||2–4 ||55 ||1 ||28 ||28 ||100.0 ||115
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2002 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ATL (9–6–1)
|16 ||32 ||40 ||80.0 ||0–0 ||8–10 ||12–14 ||11–13 ||1–3 ||52 ||3 ||42 ||43 ||97.7 ||138
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2003 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ATL (5–11)
|16 ||19 ||27 ||70.4 ||0–0 ||6–6 ||9–11 ||4–7 ||0–3 ||46 ||2 ||32 ||33 ||97.0 ||89
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2004 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ATL (11–5)
|16 ||18 ||23 ||78.3 ||1–1 ||7–7 ||7–9 ||3–6 ||0–0 ||47 ||0 ||40 ||40 ||100.0 ||94
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2005 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|NYG (11–5)
|16 ||35 ||42 ||83.3 ||0–0 ||11–13 ||13–14 ||8–10 ||3–5 ||52 ||1 ||43 ||43 ||100.0 ||148
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2006 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|NYG (8–8)
|16 ||23 ||27 ||85.2 ||0–0 ||7–7 ||10–11 ||6–8 ||0–1 ||47 ||0 ||38 ||38 ||100.0 ||107
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2007 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|MIA (1–15)
|16 ||21 ||23 ||91.3 ||0–0 ||7–7 ||6–6 ||7–9 ||1–1 ||53 ||0 ||26 ||26 ||100.0 ||89
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2008 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|NYJ (9–7)
|15 ||24 ||28 ||85.7 ||0–0 ||9–9 ||9–12 ||4–5 ||2–2 ||55 ||0 ||39 ||39 ||100.0 ||111
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2009 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|NYJ (9–7)
|16 ||30 ||36 ||83.3 ||0–0 ||6–6 ||12–15 ||11–14 ||1–1 ||55 ||1 ||32 ||32 ||100.0 ||122
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2010 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ARI (5–11)
|16 ||24 ||27 ||88.9 ||0–0 ||8–8 ||6–6 ||8–10 ||2–3 ||55 ||0 ||29 ||29 ||100.0 ||107
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2011 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ARI (8–8)
|16 ||19 ||24 ||79.2 ||0–0 ||9–9 ||4–6 ||5–7 ||1–2 ||51 ||0 ||33 ||33 ||100.0 ||90
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2012 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ARI (5–11)
|16 ||25 ||28 ||89.3 ||0–0 ||6–6 ||9–10 ||8–10 ||2–2 ||61 ||1 ||25 ||25 ||100.0 ||100
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2013 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|ARI (10–6)
|16 ||30 ||36 ||83.3 ||0–0 ||9–11 ||7–8 ||11–12 ||3–5 ||52 ||1 ||37 ||37 ||100.0 ||127
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2014 || style="text-align:left; white-space:nowrap;"|CHI (5–11)
|4 ||3 ||4 ||75.0 ||0–0 ||1–1 ||1–1 ||1–2 ||0–0 ||48 ||1 ||5 ||6 ||83.3 ||14
|-
!colspan="2"|Career (14 seasons) ||211 ||332 ||402 ||82.6 ||2–2 ||102–108 ||119–138 ||91–122 ||18–32 ||61 ||11 ||449 ||452 ||99.3 ||1445
|}
In the media
thumb|Feely on First Take in 2010
Feely appeared on ESPN First Take, and also with his wife Rebecca, on A Baby Story on TLC, which aired January 11, 2006. The NFL Films parody, entitled The Long Ride Home: The Jay Feely Story, featured comedian Dane Cook as Feely on the Giants' five-hour flight home from Seattle, where he is forced to land the plane through two large radio towers that look like field goal posts. Beginning in 2017, Feely also served as a color commentator for CBS' NFL telecasts, working alongside Beth Mowins, the first full-time female NFL play-by-play announcer. In 2018, he was set to be color analyst with play-by-play partner Mowins on the #8 team of NFL on CBS for Weeks 13 and 17, but he settled for sideline reporter for Weeks 10 and 17 as the #5 announcing team. He also joined neurosurgeon, CNN medical reporter and fellow Michigan alum Sanjay Gupta as a commentator on the Wolverines' TeamCast for the school's appearance in the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four, airing on TNT. When he is not working as analyst, he is the reporter for the #4 team for the NFL on CBS. In 2021, Feely teamed up with Dedes and started on the #7 team of NFL on CBS for Week 1 while James Lofton was away; Andrew Catalon and Tiki Barber teamed up as the #6 announcing team, and Tom McCarthy and Aaron Taylor teamed up as the #5 announcing team. He and Dedes served the #6 team of NFL on CBS for the rest of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2023, Feely teamed up with Tom McCarthy and Lofton to stay at the #6 team.
Personal life
A number of Feely's family members have also been involved in sports. His grandfather, Thomas J. Feely, was a college basketball and baseball coach for St. Thomas College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from the early 1950s to 1984. He was inducted into the N.A.I.A. National Basketball Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player.
Feely's father, Thomas J. "T.J." Feely, is a former College of St. Thomas running back and also a tennis coach who owns the Feely Kicking School of Tampa, Florida. Feely enjoys golf and has played with the Mater Dei golf team on multiple occasions.
Feely and his wife, Rebecca, live in Arizona. The couple have four children, one of whom, Jace, was the kicker for the University of Colorado. Feely is also close friends with former college teammates Tom Brady and Desmond Howard.
In 2011, Feely became a member of School of the Legends, and contributes to the organization with instructional videos, which focus on his position as a kicker.
2026 U.S. House campaign
In April 2025, Feely told ESPN that he would run as a Republican for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona's 5th congressional district in 2026, seeking to succeed Andy Biggs, who is running for governor of Arizona. Upon his campaign launch, he described himself as a fiscal conservative, social conservative and "pro-business". Feely announced on December 19 that he would instead run for Arizona's 1st congressional district.
References
External links
- Campaign website
- ArenaFan bio
- New York Jets bio