Dolphins Sign a New Kicker: Zane Gonzalez

Dolphins Sign a New Kicker: Zane Gonzalez

New season, new kicker. The Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms with kicker Zane Gonzalez on a 1 year deal.

Gonzalez is a former draft pick, which isn’t common for kickers. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in round 7 of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Arizona State.

He was an All-American at ASU in his senior season after going 39 for 40 on extra points and 23 for 25 on field goals.

He kicked in all 16 games for the Browns as a rookie, but then struggled towards the end of his rookie year and the beginning of the next season. Gonzalez then went to Arizona at the end of 2018, but kicked for them in all 16 games during the 2019 season. He handled kickoffs during this time as well.

In 2020, Gonzalez stayed with Arizona but struggled heavily from the 40-49 yard range.

He went 8-for-13, prompting the team to end his tenure there. He then went to the Carolina Panthers, where he’d hit his personal best 57-yard long field goal. Unfortunately, he wasn’t good enough to continue playing in the NFL, as he also dealt with some muscle injuries.

Gonzalez did not play in 2022 or 2023, but was signed by the Washington Commanders in 2024 to be a reliable extra point kicker with the hopes of more from his big leg.

He played well enough to stay on the team’s radar and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2025 after a horrendous start to their season with the kickers on the roster. He was very reliable, going 15 for 17 on kicks over 40 yards deep. He also handled kickoff duties and converted 17 of 18 on extra points.

Miami is signing him to a 1 year deal, signaling it is more of a tryout than a commitment. He has a huge leg and has been a good kickoff specialist. His range is what teams have been craving since he was drafted, but a 95.3 career extra point percentage is also very promising. Gonzalez is entering his age-31 season and is looking to solidify himself as a top-tier kicker.