Atlanta Falcons Sign Former Commanders, Cardinals Veteran Kicker

Atlanta has now lost three straight games, and with the season quickly slipping away, they had to make a change, and they did. It's not clear if Gonzalez will definitely start for the Falcons on Sunday, through it's likely. Either way, it will be the third-starting kicker the Falcons have had in just nine games after Younghoe Koo opened the season as the starter.

The Falcons are 26th in the NFL in field goal percentage and 24th in PAT accuracy. The Falcons finished 31st in field goal percentage in 2024.

Gonzalez has been in the NFL since 2017, starting his career with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him in the 7th round. In 2018, he was waived by the Browns and signed to the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals. 

He played five games for the Cardinals that season, making seven of his nine field goal attempts. He would serve as Arizona’s kicker through the 2020 season, making 54 field goals on 66 attempts. 

In August of 2021, the veteran kicker signed with the Detroit Lions' practice squad. A month later, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers off the Lions' practice squad. Gonzalez had his best season with the Panthers, making 90% of his field goals (20/22). 

Falcons fans may remember Gonzalez accounting for 13 of Carolina’s 19 points in a Week 8 19-13 victory over Atlanta in 2021. 

Gonzalez spent the 2022 season injured and in 2023 was traded by the Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional swap of late-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was signed to the Washington Commanders practice squad in November of 2024. 

Gonzalez was elevated to the 53-man roster after kicker Austin Seibert was placed on injured reserve. In six regular-season games with Washington, Gonzalez went five of seven on field goals and 19/19 on extra points. 

In his first career playoff game, he hit a game-winning 37-yard field goal to give the Commanders their first playoff win since 2005. 

Romo was signed to Atlanta’s practice squad on September 9th. He was elevated to the 53-man roster on September 13th, a day ahead of the Falcons' Week 2 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. 

Romo has been the Falcons' starting for the Falcons ever since. However, on Sunday, the kicker missed the game-tying extra point as the Falcons fell 23-24 to the New England Patriots. 

“At the end of the day, you got to make that kick,” head coach Raheem Morris said following the loss on Monday. “We got to get it [the kicking issues] fixed and it has to be fixed now”

Gonzalez has had a long journey with stops in multiple locations, now he finds himself in Atlanta.