Australian Mitch Wishnowsky makes NFL history with San Francisco 49ers

Mitch Wishnowsky became the first Australian in NFL history to successfully kick a field goal on Sunday. The Gosnells-born player is normally a punter. His efforts unfortunately weren’t enough to give his side a win. The San Francisco 49ers lost 23-24 to the Arizona Cardinals.

Aussie makes history in close game

After playing three years of university football for the Utah Utes, San Francisco drafted Mitch Wishnowsky with the 110th pick of the 2019 NFL draft. The 49ers re-signed the Australian to a four-year contract worth US$11 million (AU$16 million) in 2022.

Wishnowsky is a punter by trade for the 49ers, but he was asked to take over field goal duty on Sunday after the team’s starting kicker Jake Moody went down injured in the second quarter.

The 32-year-old was called into action shortly after Moody went out injured. As time ran out in the second quarter, Wishnowsky kicked in a field goal. The 26-yard effort was the first ever field goal scored by an Australian in the NFL.

Other Australians including Wishnowsky himself, have scored one-point kicks after touchdowns. Melbourne native Brad Wing even completed a throw to complete a two-point conversion during his stint as a Pittsburgh Steelers punter in the 2014 NFL season. No one had kicked for three points before though, until Sunday that is. 

Unfortunately for Wishnowsky and the 49ers, his kick was the last time they scored in the game. San Francisco didn’t score a single point in the second half. The Arizona Cardinals, their bitter rivals, scored 14 points unanswered to win the game.

The 49ers have a 2-3 record this season and are third in the NFC West.

Other Aussies in the NFL

All that’s left for an Australian to do in the NFL is score a touchdown, which are worth six points. This historic achievement is unlikely to happen this season though.

There are eight Australians on NFL first team rosters in the 2024/25 NFL season. Five of them are punters, two are offensive linemen, and one is defensive lineman. Barring a trick play of some sort or something truly unusual, none of them should be scoring.

Wishnowsky might get the chance to score again this season though. If kicker Jake Moody’s injury is serious, the Australian will get to take plenty more field goals while Moody recovers. That is, if the San Francisco 49ers do not go out and sign another kicker.