intercepted and drove back into field goal range. Fans booed Mare as he walked onto the field to attempt the long shot (over 50 yards), which he missed. Despite the reaction of fans, and his extremely poor play, head coach Sean Payton continued to stand by the kicker until he was injured in the second game against the Atlanta Falcons, and replaced with Martín Gramática. On February 27, 2008, he was released from the Saints after only one season. Seattle Seahawks On March 27, 2008, Mare signed with the Seattle Seahawks to a two-year contract worth $3.5 million. He won the kicking battle during training camp and pre-season against Brandon Coutu. He had a superb 2008 season, as he finished the season making 24/27 field goals and making all of his PATs. In 2009, Mare faced significant scrutiny after missing two field goals in a week 3 game against the Chicago Bears. The misses resulted in a six-point loss for the Seahawks. In a post-game news conference, head coach Jim L. Mora called Mare's playing "not acceptable". Olindo Mare had a fantastic 2009 season as he finished with 24/26 field goals, with a franchise record 21 straight (since surpassed by Jason Myers in 2020). He earned a 2009 Pro Bowl Alternate honor and a franchise tag that gave him a base salary of what the top five kickers earned in the NFL or a 20% salary increase, whichever was greater. Dick Stockton's inability to pronounce Mare's last name correctly has resulted in the nickname Mar-AA. Mar-AA is a reference to a Seattle drinking game. Carolina Panthers After the Panthers released popular kicker John Kasay, the Panthers were looking for a proven kicker. On July 27, 2011, the Carolina Panthers signed Mare to a four-year, $12 million contract. However, a year after signing the deal, and after Mare missed two game-winning field goals, the Panthers cut him. Chicago Bears On December 11, 2012, the Bears signed Mare to a one-year deal due to an injury to Robbie Gould. Mare beat out Billy Cundiff and Neil Rackers for the job. Mare played his first game as a Bear on December 16, 2012, against the Green Bay Packers. Mare was successful on both of his field goal attempts, but the Bears would go on to lose 21–13. In December 2013, he received a workout with the Lions, but did not make the team.