Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little says Harry Kane has what it takes to play in the NFL, but the transition from soccer would test the England captain’s mind far more than his leg. Little, a former soccer midfielder who now holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history, made the comments Thursday after practice in Watford, England, ahead of Jacksonville’s game against the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
“I think the transition from soccer to football is so much more cultural than like the actual skill,” Little said. “It’s just so different.”
Little’s remarks carry some weight given his own path. He played as a midfielder before switching to American football in high school, then went on to become a sixth-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2024. Little is also an Oklahoma native who remains a diehard Manchester United fan, giving him a personal rooting interest when it comes to English soccer stars.
Little’s Case For Kane’s NFL Potential
Little did not hedge when asked directly whether Kane could handle an NFL kicking job. “He’s probably talented enough to do it,” Little said. “His technique in soccer is so good. But it’s just such a different mental, I’d say, challenge than soccer.”
Little pointed to technique as the easy part of any hypothetical move. Kicking a ball accurately under pressure is a skill set Kane has built over a long career at the top of European soccer. Little’s point was narrower: doing it the NFL way, on demand, a handful of times a game, is a different job entirely.
The Mental Shift From 90 Minutes To A Handful Of Kicks
Little described the adjustment from being a featured player for 90 minutes to standing on the sideline waiting for a handful of chances as the real hurdle. A soccer star like Kane is involved in the run of play constantly. An NFL kicker spends most of a game watching, then has to perform cold in isolated moments.
“I think he probably has the skill to do it,” Little said, before explaining the pressure of the role. “It’d be like him taking five set pieces a day. And he’s got to deliver on all five set pieces, or you didn’t do your job for the day.”
That comparison cuts to the heart of what makes kicking different from most positions in team sports. A missed free kick in a soccer match is one moment in 90 minutes of chances to make up for it. A missed field goal can define an NFL kicker’s entire day, win or loss.
Little’s Own Week Included A Miss And A Game-Winner
Little has lived that swing himself recently. In the Jaguars’ 19-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he missed an extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter, then responded by drilling a 57-yard field goal as time expired to win the game, according to ESPN’s game recap. The BBC also detailed the finish in its coverage of the London matchup.
Little already holds the NFL record for the longest field goal at 68 yards, a mark that underscores why his opinion on leg talent carries some authority. He knows what it looks like to fail in front of a stadium and then immediately deliver under maximum pressure, which is exactly the scenario he says would be foreign to a soccer star like Kane.
What’s Next
Little’s comments came as the Jaguars prepare to face the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, the second stop of Jacksonville’s stretch of games in England. There is no indication Kane has responded publicly to Little’s assessment or expressed any interest in trying football himself.
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