Welcome to Part 11 of our 2024 positional recaps, a series that will run through the next few weeks and highlight 11 Chargers position groups. We'll focus on key stats, memorable moments and look to what lies ahead in 2025.
The Chargers and Cameron Dicker agreed to a multi-year extension the week before the regular season began.
And the Bolts kicker responded to it by putting together the best kicking season in franchise history.
Dicker was money once again in 2024 and totaled 150 points scored on the season by making a franchise-record 39 field goals on the year and 33 extra points. It was the most points scored in a single season by a kicker in team history.
He did it all with a 92.9 percent make rate, good for the highest in franchise history for a kicker with at least 35 attempts.
Dicker's season included nine makes from 50-plus yards out, which was also good for a Chargers single-season record. One of those was a 59-yard long in Week 7 that tied a franchise record.
He racked up the accolades as he was named the Chargers Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee and won back-to-back AFC Special Team Player of the Week awards in the final two weeks of the regular season.
It was a special season for Dicker, who continues to etch himself in franchise history three years in.
"He's a weapon for our team, not just in field goal," Chargers Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken said in December. "He's a weapon for out team in terms of kickoff as well. Hats off to him, the way he approaches the game."
The rest of the special teams core under Ficken and assistant special teams coach Chris Gould remained largely the same from the past couple of seasons.
JK Scott manned the punt duties for his third year on the Bolts, averaging 41.9 net yards per punt and with the 10th most punts downed inside the 20-yard line (28).
He finished the season with the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus punt grade (84.0) and held the second-best mark in hangtime with 4.65 seconds.
And a key player to the entire operation was veteran long snapper Josh Harris, who surpassed the 200-career game mark and completed his 13th season in 2024.
"There's always room for improvement, but we did a lot of really good things, too… Dicker just making a ton of field goals and just doing an amazing job," Harris said. "It's a blessing to get to work with guys like JK and Cam and the rest of the core group."
Derius Davis once again handled the return duties for punt and the new dynamic kickoff rule, as he earned All-AFC honors by the Pro Football Writers of America after another year showing off his return prowess.
As a unit the Bolts finished 16th in the NFL with an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 79.2 and got strong performances from numerous players.
Troy Dye led the team in special teams snaps with others like Tuli Tuipulotu, Hassan Haskins and Nick Niemann all logging over 290 snaps each.
Notable Number
Dicker has had a historic start of his career.
With his season in 2024, he's now made 91 of 97 career field goal attempts for a percentage of 93.8. It marks the best in NFL history by a player with at least 50 attempts.
And he's been basically automatic when the kick is shorter than 50 yards out, as his 98.7 percentage (75/76) on field goals from less than 50 yards is the best by any NFL kicker in at least the last 30 seasons.
Memorable Moment
The Chargers special teams unit took part in one of the most rare plays in NFL history this past season.
In a massive home primetime game against the Broncos, the Chargers got the ball at the Broncos 47-yard line after Davis called for a fair catch and was interfered with on Denver's punt. It set up a rare fair-catch kick, which hadn't been attempted since 2019.
Dicker calmly stepped up for the kick, which had no rushers, and nailed it from 57 yards out for the first successful fair catch kick since 1976.
With only nine attempted since the last make, it was a heads up moment by the coaching staff and the players that they were prepared for to get three points right before the half.
"Ficken, [Gould], we talk about it in our Friday meetings," Dicker said. "We go through that, we go through all the scenarios that can happen."
Harbaugh added: "It's my favorite rule in football. Just been trying to get one of those every game. It's the first one we've made."
The kick is believed to be the longest fair catch free kick field goal in NFL history and first make since Ray Wersching, who made a 45-yard attempt while also on the Chargers in 1976.
Dicker even got to meet Wersching the week after the made kick as the two now share some NFL history.
Regular-Season Stats
Cameron Dicker
Made 39 of 42 field goal attempts with a long of 59 yards and was 33 of 36 on extra point tries; appeared in all 17 games and played 172 special teams snaps (37.2 percent)
JK Scott
Averaged 46.7 yards per punt with a long of 67 yards and also had 28 of his 73 punts (38.9 percent) downed inside the 20-yard line; appeared in all 17 games and played 154 special teams snaps (33.4 percent)
Josh Harris
Appeared in all 17 games as the long snapper and played 153 special teams snaps (33.1 percent)
Derius Davis
Returned 19 punts for an average of 12.4 yards per punt return and returned 19 kickoffs for an average of 27.6 yards; appeared in 15 games (two starts) for the Bolts and played 130 special teams snaps (28.1 percent)
Hassan Haskins
Returned 1 kickoff for 35 yards; Appeared in all 17 games for the Bolts and played 292 special teams snaps (63.1 percent)
Jalen Reagor
Returned 1 kickoff for 22 yards; Appeared in eight games (two starts) and played 34 special teams snaps (7.3 percent)
1 Question for 2025
What does Dicker have in store after a historic third season?
As laid out above, Dicker has continued to make Chargers franchise history each season he's been on the team.
He also has a chance to further move up the record books of both the franchise and the NFL as a whole in 2025.
Dicker, who is currently fifth all-time in the franchise's record books in field goals made, needs 22 field goals to pass Nick Novak for fourth all-time in the history of the Bolts.
But something else to keep an eye on for next season is his potential to enter the all-time record books as well.
To qualify for the NFL's all-time leaderboard in field goal accuracy, a kicker must have at least 100 career attempts. Dicker currently sits at 97 attempts and will have a chance to challenge for the top percentage in the history of the league as he currently sits at 93.7 percent.
Of course, percentages always fluctuate on the leaderboard, but it'll be a fun storyline to follow once next season arrives.
Nonetheless, there's no doubt Dicker has established himself as one of the NFL's best and a weapon for the Chargers.
"Very proud of the way he's approached the game," Ficken said. "He's a tremendous asset for our team."
