New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fully endorses Harry Kane’s dream of one day becoming an NFL kicker.
Maye spoke Thursday after practice at the campus of Bayern Munich — Kane’s soccer team — ahead of Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
“It would be cool to see him try,” Maye said. “He’s dealt with pressure, that’s one of the biggest things about kicking in the National Football League is the pressure of it. He does that for a living. So, I don’t think he’d have any problem.”
Kane, a longtime Patriots fan, recently became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or, soccer’s award for the best player in the world.
The 33-year-old England captain this month signed a contract extension to stay at Bayern until 2029, so it’s unclear when he’d be ready to give NFL kicking a shot.
Kane has mused over the years about trying it. He has even floated the idea of combining his NFL dream with joining a Major League Soccer team.
“I think I’ve seen him maybe kick a few, and he looked pretty good,” Maye said. “No doubt, he does that for a living, so I’m sure he’d be just fine.”
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little weighed in on Kane a few days after booting a game-winning 57-yard field goal to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17 in London a month ago. Little said Kane’s biggest adjustment would be shifting from star striker to bit player. As a kicker, he said, “You’re out there just to back everyone up basically.”
Bayern is still celebrating its first Ballon d’Or winner in 45 years. It’s also the first for any player at a German club since 1996.
Patriots tight end Hunter Henry said he doesn’t know much about soccer but was well aware of the Bayern star: “He’s a dawg — lot of respect for Harry Kane.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.