ENGLEWOOD — Wil Lutz stared out at the Broncos practice field and reflected on more than a decade kicking in the NFL.

“You’ve got to pinch yourself sometimes because it feels like yesterday,” Lutz told The Denver Gazette earlier this month during minicamp at Broncos Park.

Lutz enters his fourth season with the Broncos in 2026 after signing a three-year, $16.1 million contract extension in November. His connection to Broncos coach Sean Payton started before the 2016 season when Payton invited Lutz to a tryout with the Saints after being undrafted from Georgia State.

“I think there’s a trust element,” Payton said during minicamp. “He’s an extremely talented player with his skill set. I think he knows how to respond too when the moment is big.”

Lutz has played under Payton in nine of his previous 10 NFL seasons between New Orleans and Denver. Lutz explained why the player-coach relationship keeps working.

“Half the battle for specialists is if you can understand coaching,” Lutz told The Denver Gazette. “How to handle your coach and how your coach handles you. That is the same thing with (Darren) Rizzi. … Sometimes he will yell at players, including myself. Sometimes that’s a motivating tactic. Sometimes it’s a coaching tactic. It’s how you respond. It’s how you handle critiques and pressure. Sean and I have won a lot of football games together.

“I think that he’s seen I’m never too high and never too low.”

Lutz has appeared in 148 career regular-season NFL games despite missing all of the 2021 season with a core muscle injury. His career field-goal percentage of 86.1% ranks ninth overall among active kickers entering the 2026 season. He’s nearly automatic on extra point attempts over that span with a 97.8% conversion rate.

The numbers prove that Lutz also improved his reliability over three seasons with the Broncos. He’s connected on 89 of 100 field goal attempts with a long of 57 yards.

“I would say the last two or three years, I’ve allowed myself to get into a good mental space, and just kind of realize: ‘This is really cool.’ Which has got me in a good headspace,” Lutz told The Denver Gazette. “I’ve created a legacy that allows me to play free. It’s special, and shoot, it’s 10 1/2 years longer than I thought I would play.”

But navigating the highs and lows in any given season is arguably the greatest challenge for NFL kickers.

In November, Lutz earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he made all five of his field goal attempts against the Chiefs — including the 35-yard game winner. In January, Lutz had a 45-yard field goal attempt partially blocked in the AFC Championship Game loss, 10-7, against the Bills.

Lutz explained his approach to keeping a level head through all of it.

“I think every year I’m still trying to find an edge on how to be comfortable. How to live in the moment. How to handle every game differently. How to handle each kick,” Lutz told The Denver Gazette. “One of the things that is big for me are the experiences. That helps alleviate pressure the most. At this point in my career, I feel like I’ve seen it all. … The AFC Championship was the first time I played in a blizzard. I’ve played in snow before. I’ve played in cold weather. I’ve played in rain. I’ve kicked one from every distance. I’ve kicked at every stadium. Those experiences are what helps alleviate my pressure, because I know I’ve been there. It’s not making any moment too big.

“My mental approach is to enjoy it more than anything at this point — which is fun.”