Former UConn kicker Chris Freeman hit the first kick of his NFL career.
Playing for the Houston Texans in their preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, Freeman nailed a point-after attempt in the first quarter. It was his only chance of the first half,
With two seconds remaining in the first half, Freeman missed a 61-yard field goal attempt from the Chargers' 43-yard line. The kick sailed wide right.
The Texans announced the signing the 25-year-old Freeman, an undrafted free agent who attended their rookie mini-camp, on Wednesday.
Freeman began his college career with 28 games at his home-state Indiana before transferring to UConn prior to the 2024 season. He was a steady performer for the Huskies.
In 26 games at UConn, he completed all 101 of his extra-point attempts as the Huskies finished 9-4 in each of his two seasons.
In 2024, he hit 76.9% of his field-goal attempts (20 of 26); the following season, his completion percentage increased to 88.5 (23 of 26).
#Texans make it official, signing former Connecticut kicker Chris Freeman and waived Montrell Washington. Freeman was at team's rookie minicamp @KPRC2pic.twitter.com/O9ByaiQp53
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 12, 2026
The Freeman file
Freeman made an impact with the Huskies when he transferred to UConn.
In a win over Buffalo on Sept. 27, 2024, he tied a UConn program record with four field goals. A few weeks later, on Oct. 19 against Wake Forest, he hit a career-long 53-yard field goal, which set the record for the longest field goal by a UConn kicker in program history at Rentschler Field. He equaled his 53-yard record in the regular-season finale on Nov. 30 at UMass.
In 2025, Freeman hit 12 consecutive field goals to set a UConn record.
Freeman’s NFL contract
The contract with the Texans is likely a training camp deal, which allows players to participate in preseason practices with no guarantees of a full-season contract. Pay is week-to-week for what essentially is a tryout.
In Houston, Ka’imi Fairbairn is a fixture at the kicker position. The 32-year-old, a UCLA product, has been the Texans’ kicker since 2014. He has played in 138 career games, completing 93.4% (268 of 287) of his extra-point attempts and 87.6% (255 of 291) of his field goal tries with a career long of 61 yards.
Fairbairn signed a two-year, $13 million contract extension with the Texans in March.
Like most Texans starters, Fairbairn was rested in the preseason opener.
Will Freeman be on the Texans’ roster?
Probably not, but the time with the Texans is valuable to Freeman. It’s an audition not only for the Houston franchise but for all 32 NFL teams. He could wind up on the practice squad of the Texans or another team, making him available to be signed by any franchise at any point of the season.
Between kickers being lost to injuries or being released for ineffectiveness, there often are in-season opportunities at the position.
Who is UConn’s next kicker?
Head coach Jason Candle has two kickers on his 2026 roster, both from Illinois.
Mike Baker, 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds, is a transfer from Ole Miss, where he spent two seasons, including a redshirt. He had limited opportunities with the Rebels, appearing in six games and completing all four of his field goal attempts.
Jack O’Connor is a 6-foot, 177-pound freshman from York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill.
