Rene Paredes believes kicking records will stand for ‘long time’ thanks to CFL rule changes

Photo courtesy: Leah Hennel/CFL.

The times are changing for CFL kickers, but Rene Paredes’ place in the record book could stay the same for the foreseeable future.

That was the belief shared by the 41-year-old specialist at his official retirement press conference on Thursday when asked whether the CFL’s upcoming rule changes would make it difficult to surpass him on the CFL’s all-time scoring list.

“I think so. I think those records might stand for a long time,” Paredes said. “Kickers are going to have less kicks. Everything inside the 20; those kicks are gone. There’ll be longer field goals, so we’ll see how the rules shape up.”

Paredes decision to hang up the cleats after 15 seasons comes on the eve of substantial changes to the structure of the CFL game. Beginning in 2027, the length of the field will shrink from 110 yards to 100, while the end zones will go from 20 yards down to 15. In a corresponding move, the goalposts will move from the goal line to the back of the end zone, instantly extending the length of the average field goal by 15 yards as well.

That has led to concerns that some of the league’s current kickers, in particular those who have built their careers on mid-range accuracy, could be phased out in favour of options with bigger legs. The likes of Paredes, who retires with a career field goal percentage of 87.6 percent, may never be seen again.

“I always tried to be perfect. I missed a couple of field goals here and there that I should have made. I made some field goals I should have missed as well. I was motivated to be perfect all the time,” the five-time All-CFL selection said.

The expectations for professional kickers have shifted dramatically over the course of Paredes’ career. When he first broke into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011, there was only one specialist who hit above 90 percent. This year, the Venezuelan-born standout was one of six such players.

Minimum standards for distance have also skyrocketed, boosted by more specialized training and the ability for kickers to work in their own footballs. Also impactful has been the narrowing of the hashmarks, which Paredes suggests trimmed two or three yards of real distance off of the average attempt. That allowed him to hit a career-long 62-yard game-winning field goal against Ottawa earlier this year, which he highlighted as one of the best moments of his career.

Under the current rules, Paredes attempted that kick from his own 48-yard line. Next year, it will need to come from plus territory, at the opponent’s 47-yard line. CFL teams that still want the ability to steal victories from distance will now have to prioritize power over some of the traits that have made the departing Stampeder into a legend.

“It’s a lot of those stats,” Paredes said when asked what makes him a potential Hall of Famer. “I think being consistent throughout my whole career, being able to play so many games. 247 games in a row is tough. I dealt with a lot of injuries, played a lot of games hurt. I remember those two or three games I had to kick off, and all I could do was field goals. It’s being reliable and being ready for the team.”

Paredes ends his tenure with the Stampeders in seventh place on the CFL’s all-time scoring list with 2,559 points. He has connected on the fifth-most field goals in league history with 656. Only Sean Whyte, who has insisted he has no plans to retire at 40, has a realistic chance to catch him.

“I think it would be dumb of me to say not that I’m not one of the greatest. I’ve been humble my whole career, but I’ve done a lot in 15 years,” he admitted. “You’ve still got the Louis Passaglias, the Paul McCallums, and all those guys who played over 20 years, but the thing I did better than them was being consistent. I’m pretty sure every kicker in this league thinks they’re the best, and I don’t blame them for that. You should be saying that. Yeah, I think I’m one of the greatest.”

And yet, there is valid reason to wonder if the Concordia product is the last of his kind. The introduction of Global players, many of whom are big-legged converts from other sports, has already taken a bite out of the Canadian kicking market. With longer kicks at more of a premium than ever before, will any CFL team again choose to risk their future on a tryout player who paid for his own plane ticket without in-game proof that he can hit a bomb?

Calgary, at least, will not have to decide their answer quite yet, as they got a proven look at Paredes’ likely successor earlier this season — converted Gaelic football player Jude McAtamney.

“They have a great young kicker who has a very strong leg,” Paredes said. “He’s pretty consistent, so I think the Stamps will be alright.”