Chargers’ Dicker Admits He ‘Was Kind of Laughing’ Over Rare Free Kick Against Broncos

Cameron Dicker (11) of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up during a 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 10. Harry How/Getty Images

A fair catch nearly turned disastrous for the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday—before the team made history during a 34–27 win over the Denver Broncos.

The Chargers (9–6) took advantage of a penalty during a bobbled fair catch attempt, and kicker Cameron Dicker drilled a 57-yard free kick field goal to end the first half and trim the Broncos’ lead to 21–13. Dicker’s kick marked the first free kick field goal since 1976, when San Diego Charger Ray Wersching made one.

Teams rarely employ the football rule where a team that makes a fair catch on a punt can line up for a field goal with no blockers from the other team on the next play. It’s so rare that the Broncos weren’t ready for it, and the Chargers had some confusion too.

“Once he got hit when trying to catch it with a penalty, I was like ‘OK 15 yards? That’s gonna put us up there,’” Dicker told reporters afterward. “So then I went over to the net and hit a couple real quick. I ran over and … then the offense was out there and I was like, ‘Huh, did they forget about this?’ I was like, am I the only one who remembers this?”

“I was in the net kicking, and I was like ‘they’ll remember, and so then [Chargers assistant special teams coach Chris Gould] Beep ran over and let me know and he’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going’ … [so] I got one more rep and ran out on the field,” Dicker continued. “And then the Broncos were confused so they called the timeout.”

The Broncos (9–6), of course, had to line up 10 yards away as the rules require for a free kick. Los Angeles special teams players similarly lined up back by the kicker instead of the line of scrimmage.

“And I was like, ‘OK, I got some time now,’ so I went over [and] hit another rep and then came back and got ready to go,” Dicker said. “I was kind of laughing. I was like what a funny moment. Like this is cool, this is cool. Just enjoy the moment, embrace the moment, and just go try to hit a bomb and enjoy it.”

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh also enjoyed the unusual moment in the eventual three-point victory over an AFC West rival.

“Great football game,” Harbaugh told reporters. “Let’s talk about Cam Dicker and the free kick. It’s my favorite rule in football. I have been trying to get one in every game. When Cameron Dicker made it, it got the momentum back. This was our chance. This was our moment [to try it].”