ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - From the gridiron locker room to the gilded halls of Congress is where Jay Feely is hoping to go.

On Tuesday, the former NFL kicker — who spent the first four seasons of a solid 14-year professional football career with the Atlanta Falcons — announced he is running for Arizona’s 5th congressional seat.

Feely, who spent four of his last five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican who is running for governor.

Biggs won Arizona’s 5th Congressional District with 60.4% of the vote in 2024.

Feely is a supporter of President Donald Trump, who talked about border security and revitalizing the economy.

“I’m excited about this next chapter of my life,” Feely said in a statement as reported by CBS Sports. “I feel God’s calling pressing me into service, and that’s really what I believe it is, is the civil service. I don’t believe we have enough politicians that get into political office not for self-serving measures and that get into political office and don’t want it to be a career, and that’s what I believe.”

Feely played for the Falcons from 2001-04; the New York Giants from 2005-06; the Miami Dolphins in 2007; the New York Jets in 2008-09; the Cardinals from 2010-13 and the Chicago Bears in 2014.

During that time, Feely connected on 82.6% of his field goal attempts, with his longest make coming from 61 yards. He retired from the sport after the 2014 season and served as an analyst for CBS for 10 years.

Atlanta News First and Atlanta News First+ provide you with the latest news, headlines and insights as Georgia continues its role at the forefront of the nation’s political scene. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest political news and information.

Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube

Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.