Raiders Communications

HENDERSON, Nev.The Las Vegas Raiders have signedP AJ Coleto a multi-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday.

Cole joined the Raiders in 2019 as an undrafted free agent, making the team after a tryout during rookie minicamp. Since then, he has become a two-time Associated Press First Team All-Pro (2021, 2023) and three-time Pro Bowl selection (2021, 2022, 2023). Over his six years with the Silver and Black, Cole has logged 374 punts for 18,193 yards (48.6 avg.), including 169 punts downed inside the 20, a career long punt of 83 yards and only 30 touchbacks.

Cole's career average of 48.6 yards per punt since 2019 leads the NFL over that span (min. 300 punts) and is the highest mark in NFL history among punters through their first six seasons in the league. He has also logged 64 punts of 60+ yards since entering the league, the second most in the NFL over that span. Cole has downed 44.7% of his punts inside the 20-yard line in his career, the highest percentage in the league since 2019 and the highest mark among punters in their first six seasons in the NFL since 2000 (min. 300 punts).

Last season, Cole stablished a single-season career-high average of 50.8 yards per punt on 65 punts. His 50.8 yards per punt average is tied for the second-best mark in a single season in Raiders history (min. 50 punts) and the fifth highest single-season average in NFL history. Cole also posted 17 punts of 60+ yards in 2024, the second most in the NFL and the most in a single season in Raiders history since 2000, passing his previous record of 16 set in 2023.

In 2023, Cole earned his third-straight Pro Bowl selection and second First Team All-Pro selection after leading the NFL with a 45.1 net punting average, also the best average in a single season in Raiders history (since 1976). His 50.4 gross punting average also ranked first in the NFL in 2024 among players with at least 60 punts and ranked ninth in a single season in NFL history (min. 50 punts). His 16 punts of 60+ yards in 2023 also passed Shane Lechler (14 in 2008 and 2011) for the most 60+ yard punts in a single season in Raiders history at the time.

The College Park, Ga. native also set an NFL record in 2023, notching the highest single-game punting average in NFL history with a 63.6 yards per punt on five punts in Week 9. He also logged the longest punt in Raiders history in 2023 an 83-yard bomb in Week 14.

Cole's 2022 season ended with his second career Pro Bowl nod after finishing fourth in the NFL with a 48.9 yards per punt average on 59 punts, while his 43.9 net punting average ranked fifth in the NFL (min. 50 attempts). He also downed five punts inside the five-yard line, the second most in the NFL in 2022.

In 2021, Cole earned an Associated Press First Team All Pro selection and his first Pro Bowl nod after leading the NFL with an average of 50.0 yards per punt (min. 50 punts) also the 15th best average in a single season in NFL history. He also downed 43.8% of his punts inside the 20-yard line, the third best mark in the league.

The 6-4, 220-pound punter finished with a 44.1 yards per punt average on 44 punts, downing 45.5% of his punts inside the 20-yard line, the fourth best mark in the NFL (min. 40 punts). Among players with at least 40 punts in 2020, Cole's two touchbacks were tied for the second fewest in the league.

As a rookie in 2019, Cole set rookie club records in punting average (46.0), net average (39.4 avg.) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (33). He also led the league from Weeks 11-17 with 18 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, while his 33 total for the year tied Shane Lechler for third-most in Raiders history and ranked fifth in the NFL in 2019.