FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have signed Zane Gonzalez, giving the veteran kicker another opportunity after he was cut by Washington in April.
The 30-year-old Gonzalez is replacing Parker Romo, who was released on Tuesday. Romo missed an extra point with 4:40 left in Sunday's 24-23 loss at New England.
“Parker gave us a bunch of really good kicks,” coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday. "We missed a kick the other day, and we can’t miss those kicks. We’ve just got to find a way to be more consistent, get some operational peace. So, we chose to go with Zane and give him an opportunity.”
Gonzalez gained notoriety with Washington last season as fans caught onto his obsessive-compulsive disorder. He kicked a game-winning field goal in the playoffs against Tampa Bay, but not until after he adjusted his socks on the sideline and fixed his hair. Gonzalez used his platform to share his story, listen to others and correct misconceptions about OCD.
“The experience that Zane brings in from his time with Washington, some of the other spots he's been to, San Francisco ... bringing him back and giving him an opportunity this week is something we look forward to," Morris said.
Gonzalez has made 96 of his 120 field-goal attempts in six NFL seasons, with a long of 57 yards in 2021 while he was with the Carolina Panthers. He has made 146 of his 153 career extra points, including a perfect 19 for 19 last season.
Gonzalez was training at his high school when he got the call.
“I didn't know if we were going to get a workout that week, so I went and kicked Monday," Gonzalez said Wednesday. "I was at my high school working on the field and then I got a call from my agent, so pretty much shut it down pretty quick, hopped on a flight, and then had a workout yesterday. They're giving me the day off to relax, and I'll be out there swinging tomorrow.”
Atlanta announced the move on Wednesday. It also released defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham.
The Falcons play the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday.
The Falcons cut kicker Younghoe Koo in September and replaced him with Romo, who had been added to the practice squad as insurance in case Koo's struggles continued. Koo missed a career-high nine field goals last season, then missed a last-second, 44-yard field goal in a 23-20 loss to Tampa Bay in this season's opener.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Much Ado About Nothing: A Modern Verse Translation, tells the timeless and hilarious story o… Read moreMills High School Much Ado About Nothing: A Modern Translation
Join us to meet Simi Monheit, the author of The Goldie Standard, and the 2024 Winner of the … Read moreMeet the Award-Winning Author of The Goldie Standard
Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.