The Atlanta Falcons' kickers have been quite literally hit or miss this season. Newcomer Zane Gonzalez may be the answer to the problematic position at long last. After three poor seasons with the Browns and Cardinals to begin his career, Gonzalez made 90.9% of his field goals in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers.
After that, he disappeared into various practice squads and injury concerns. Finally, halfway through 2024, Gonzalez reappeared with the Commanders and smacked five of seven field goals through in the regular season. After the Commanders made the playoffs, Gonzalez was even more efficient.
He hit seven of eight field goals and made all 27 extra point attempts through nine total games last year. Even NFL reporter Mike Garafolo suggested Gonzalez may fix the Falcons' kicking woes. The 30-year-old is a big soccer fan and travels around Europe often to watch matches.
Zane Gonzalez is a big soccer guy and travels to Europe to see games often. His first game kicking with the #Falcons will be in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, site of many historic soccer matches over the years. https://t.co/57lhRZeZgw
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 4, 2025
As fate would have it, he will suit up in Europe, in Berlin, Germany to be exact, in his Falcons debut on Sunday morning. All Falcons' fans want is field goals made. Unfortunately, that is not something fans are accustomed to in recent memory.
Zane Gonzalez' NFL pedigree isn't pretty, but Berlin could be what unlocks his potential
Longtime kicker Younghoe Koo was dropped from the team after missing a game-tying field goal against the Bucs to open the season. While that might seem aggressive, he was in hot water long before. After enjoying a phenomenal four-year stretch from 2020-2023, Koo fell off a cliff last season.
The veteran kicker made just 73% of field goals, including missing multiple clutch kicks, which culminated in a Week 1 miss against the Bucs. After he was cut, his replacement, Parker Romo, wasn't much better. The 28-year-old got off to a hot start, making five field goals in his opening game.
Then Romo missed three of his next six and was in hot water immediately. In Week 9, after a fantastic offensive revival, the Falcons found themselves one extra point away from tying a once two-score deficit held by the AFC East-leading Patriots.
Romo proceeded to miss the extra point, and the Falcons went on to lose. The only clutch kick all season, an extra point, and he missed it. Now, Gonzalez is with Atlanta, and all eyes will be on him. With how general manager Terry Fontenot has treated kickers this season, he'll likely be quick to pull Gonzalez if he's unreliable.
All Falcons' fans want is a reliable kicker, and hopefully, Gonzalez is the guy. With his soccer background, recent success, and years of NFL experience, things are looking up for the Falcons' kicking game moving forward.