"It's something that's in the back of my mind," Harry Kane said in September. "I still feel like I have many more years ahead of me in soccer." That's the honest answer — and it also tells you everything about where this NFL kicking dream actually stands.
With England playing Ghana at Boston's Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, Kane stopped by for a photo with Pat Patriot ahead of kick-off. It's a fun moment, not a press conference. But given Kane's long-standing obsession with the NFL — he's been following the league for over a decade and counts Tom Brady as a personal friend — it's hard not to revisit the question: could he actually do it?
The case for Kane as an NFL kicker
Brandon Aubrey thinks so, and his opinion carries weight. The Cowboys kicker made the jump from professional soccer himself — MLS, USFL, then the NFL — and is now arguably the best kicker in the league. "He's a fantastic striker of the ball," Aubrey told Talk Sport. "He has the talent if he wanted to do that."
The evidence isn't just theoretical. Back in 2017, Kane visited the Giants' practice facility and hit a 50-yard field goal in gym shoes. That's not nothing.
Aubrey also pushed back on the idea that soccer skill doesn't translate. "If you strike a soccer ball a million times, it's going to translate to striking a football. The mental aspect of taking a set piece or a penalty is very similar to taking a field goal." Kane has taken plenty of both under pressure. His record speaks for itself.
Why it probably won't happen — at least not soon
Kane is 32, still performing at the top level, and just scored twice in England's 4-2 World Cup opener against Croatia. There is no reason for him to even think about pivoting right now. He's leading Bayern Munich's attack, carrying England's World Cup hopes, and chasing history.
Aubrey himself flagged the age problem bluntly: "I have a feeling he'll be a little bit on the older side when he's done with soccer, and NFL teams don't like to see too old of kickers to start." Aubrey was 28 in his first NFL season — already a rarity. Kane would likely be well past that by the time soccer is finished with him.
And even setting age aside, there are only 32 NFL kicking jobs in existence. Aubrey spent three years training before the USFL gave him a foothold. "Even if you have the ability, it's trying to get somebody to give you an opportunity." Kane's global profile would almost certainly earn him a tryout somewhere. Converting that into a roster spot is an entirely different conversation.
For now, England need him focused on something far more pressing — ending a 60-year wait for a World Cup title. The NFL can wait.
