Who Is the Falcons’ Kicker? Everything to Know About Zane Gonzalez After Atlanta’s Revolving Door of Kickers
The Atlanta Falcons have had a rough 2025 campaign. With Michael Penix Jr. taking over as the full-time starter, the hope was that the year could be a new beginning for the franchise. Unfortunately, that hasn’t gone according to plan, even before the season-ending surgery to their sophomore derailed them entirely.
However, problems have persisted for the Falcons throughout the year, particularly on the special teams unit. After a revolving door of kickers, they’ve now landed on Zane Gonzalez. Here’s everything you need to know about their new specialist.
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Who Is Zane Gonzalez?
A college football product from Arizona State, Gonzalez began his career with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since then, he’s played for multiple teams before joining Atlanta this year.
Suiting up for them in five games so far, he’s knocked in 10 of 12 field goal attempts, with both of his misses coming from beyond 50 feet. However, he’s been automatic on extra point attempts, converting on all nine of his attempts.
After playing 18 games for the Browns, Gonzalez made his way to the Arizona Cardinals during his second season, where he spent the majority of his career, before finding his footing with the Carolina Panthers. He remained on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers for the entirety of the 2023 season.
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However, it was during the Washington Commanders’ majestic playoff run that he became a major talking point across the league. The former all-time leader for field goals made in NCAA Division I history, he was placed on the active roster after Austin Seibert was placed on the injured reserve list.
Becoming a knockdown kicker to close out the regular season, his value soared when he beat his opponents tonight, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on a last-second field goal in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, marking the first win for the Commanders in nearly 20 years.
While he signed an extension with Washington, the addition of Matt Gay made him expendable to the franchise, and he was released soon after. Open about his obsessive-compulsive disorder, he was a major advocate for it and spoke candidly about his struggles.
During his walk to the field to kick the historic field goal for the Commanders, he was repeatedly adjusting his hair, something fans were quick to point out, which brought his OCD into the limelight. But rather than shying away from it, Gonzalez was open about his condition.
In the game against the Buccaneers, he wasn’t called upon often, as the Falcons went for two-point conversions on both their touchdowns in the fourth quarter. However, he was critical to the team’s victory, as he knocked down a last-second field goal to give the Buccaneers another heartbreak in the same calendar year.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
