Who is Falcons kicker? Why Atlanta brought in Zane Gonzalez to replace Parker Romo after kicking struggles

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Who is Falcons kicker? Why Atlanta brought in Zane Gonzalez to replace Parker Romo after kicking struggles image

The Atlanta Falcons are already on their third kicker of the 2025 season.

Heading into Week 10, the Falcons sit at 3-5, at risk of falling far behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South race. There's been more than one issue to befell Raheem Morris' squad this season, but one blatant problem has been kicking.

After releasing a fan favorite in Younghoe Koo early in the 2025 campaign, the Falcons have now released Koo's successor, Parker Romo — and its journeyman Zane Gonzalez who's now in-line to be kicking the football for Atlanta.

Why did the Falcons turn to yet another kicker in Gonzalez? Here's a look at the veteran's career and how he wound up in Atlanta.

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Who is Falcons kicker?

The Falcons' newest kicker is Zane Gonzalez. A former seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Gonzalez has attempted a regular-season kick with four teams in his career, but has spent time with a total of seven squads, including the Falcons. He played college at Arizona State from 2013-16, finishing as the NCAA Division I leader in field goals made at the time and accumulating three All-Pac 12 team selections.

Entering his Falcons stint, Gonzalez has appeared in 44 career games since 2017, connecting on 96 of his 120 field goal attempts. He has also made 146 of his 153 career extra-point attempts as well.

The kicker has been open about his struggles with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), which was in the spotlight in 2024 when he was seen with specific preparations and mannerisms prior to kicking the field goal that would win the Washington Commanders their first playoff game in decades.

“Anybody that has OCD understands that mental battle’s not easy,” Gonzalez later said, per the AP. “You truly think it’s the end of the world or whatever that situation is that you’re going through that you think the worst possible situation can come of it. And even if it’s the most unrealistic thing ever, that’s just kind of the way you think about it sometimes.”

MORE: How Parker Romo's missed extra point led to Falcons' Week 9 loss to Patriots

Falcons kicking struggles

Atlanta has struggled to find a reliable kicker in the 2025 season. It opened the year with Koo, who entered his seventh season as the Falcons' kicker; he had become one of the more reliable and well-known kickers across the league in that span. Of Koo's 181 career field goals, 178 came in a Falcons uniform; he signed a five-year, $24.25 million extension in 2022 as one of the NFL's top kickers.

After making a career-low 73.5 percent of his field goals in 2024 though, Koo had a short leash with the team in 2025. He made the initial 2025 roster, but he missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal in Week 1 in Atlanta's 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the aftermath of that loss, the team signed another kicker, Parker Romo, to its practice squad. Romo played in Week 2, hitting all five of his field-goal attempts. With that success, Koo became expendable.

Koo was released on Sept. 19, as Romo became the starting kicker for Atlanta.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, Romo didn't work out either. Not only did he proceed to miss both of his field-goal attempts in the week after Koo was released, but in Week 9 against the New England Patriots, Romo missed an extra-point in what became a one-point loss.

"We can't miss those kicks," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said, per Falcons.com.

After Week 9, the Falcons released Romo following his missed extra-point that lead to another loss. They signed Gonzalez, who was a free-agent despite his success with the Commanders in 2024.

"You want what's best for the team," Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams said, per Falcons.com. "... We are looking for a consistent presence at that position as throughout the whole NFL."

Zane Gonzalez career timeline

Cleveland Browns, 2017-18

Gonzalez began his NFL career with the Browns, who was drafted with the 224th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $2.48 million rookie deal.

After beating out incumbent kicker Cody Parkey for the starting job in 2017, Gonzalez made 15 of 20 field goal attempts as a rookie that season. 

However, after maintaining the starting job into 2018, Gonzalez had a potential game-winning field goal blocked in Week 1 of the 2018 season, then missed two field goals and two extra points in Week 2. He was waived by the Browns the following day. 

Arizona Cardinals, 2018-20

Later in the 2018 season, Gonzalez signed with the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad. He was promoted to their active roster on Nov. 26 after an injury to the starting kicker.

Gonzalez would remain in Arizona through the remainder of the 2018 season, then remained the starter in 2019 and signed an extension in April 2020. However, after a 2019 season that included an 88.6 percent conversion on field goals, Gonzalez' conversion rate fell to 72.9 percent in 2020 before he was placed on IR with a season-ending injury. 

The Cardinals released Gonzalez in March 2021.

Detroit Lions, 2021

Prior to the 2021 season, Gonzalez signed with the Detroit Lions. He was waived, then signed to the team's practice squad.

Carolina Panthers, 2021-22

Early in the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers grabbed Gonzalez off the Lions' practice squad. By Week 8, he had earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award, making four field goals in a win over the Falcons. He made another four field goals in Week 10 to win the same award.

Despite his success with the Panthers, Gonzalez only appeared in 12 games in the 2021 season due to an injury during warmups prior to Week 15. He did sign a one-year extension with Carolina in March 2022, but with another quad injury prior to the 2022 season, he missed the entire campaign on IR.

San Francisco 49ers, 2023

In March 2023, the Panthers traded Gonzalez to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional swap of late-round picks in the 2025 draft. Again though, he was placed on IR by late August.

Gonzalez was released by the 49ers in September 2023.

Washington Commanders, 2024

In November 2024, with years since he had last made an NFL kick due to injuries, Gonzalez signed with the Commanders' practice squad. Eventually, he was signed to the active roster due to an injury to starting kicker Austin Seibert.

In the regular season, Gonzalez converted five of his seven field goal attempts, but his highlight came in the playoffs. In the NFC Wild Card round against the Buccaneers, Gonzalez's 37-yard field goal with three seconds remaining bounced off the right upright, then went in, giving Washington its first playoff win since 2005.

Gonzalez had three field goals in the playoff victory.

Gonzalez proceeded to sign a one-year extension with the Commanders in March 2025. However, the team released him after signing Matt Gay in April.

Atlanta Falcons, 2025-present

The Falcons signed Gonzalez on Nov. 5, 2025, following the kicking struggles between Younghoe Koo and Parker Romo throughout the season.

Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams said Gonzalez's success with the Commanders played into the decision to sign him.

"He did a good job there," Williams said, per Falcons.com. "I thought he was calm. He plays with great poise. He has consistent technique. He has a strong leg. And he's played in clutch situations."

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