FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — For the first time in franchise history, the Atlanta Falcons had three kickers make at least one field goal in a single season.
Zane Gonzalez, John Parker Romo and Younghoe Koo each did so in 2025.
Koo, a longtime member of the team, was initially the Falcons' kicker. But after he missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal in Atlanta's Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Falcons brought in competition. Enter Romo.
Romo made his Falcons debut as a practice squad elevation in the Falcons' Week 2 win against the Minnesota Vikings, hitting all five of his field goal attempts and earning a spot on the active roster. Koo was released afterward. However, in Week 9, Romo missed a game-tying extra point in the Falcons' loss to the New England Patriots. Again, the Falcons brought in competition. That's when Gonzalez came in.
The Falcons signed Gonzalez and released Romo during Week 10 without a trial run. The decision paid off. Gonzalez provided the steady foot Atlanta needed moving forward. He made 19 of his 22 field-goal attempts and 17 of his 18 extra-point attempts.
Learn more below about how the Falcons' special teams performed in 2025 and the position group's outlook for 2026.
Roster Recap:
- Offense: Qaurterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive line
- Defense: Defensive Tackle | Edge | Linebacker | Secondary
2025 production:
| Kicker Name | Games | FGA | FGM | Success | Long | XPA | XPM | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zane Gonzalez | 9 | 22 | 19 | 86.4% | 56 | 18 | 17 | 94.4% |
| John Parker Romo | 7 | 14 | 11 | 78.6% | 54 | 13 | 12 | 92.3% |
| Younghoe Koo | 1 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 41 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Punter Name | Games | Punts | Yards | Yards/punt | Long | Inside 20 | Touchback | Blocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Pinion | 17 | 64 | 2,889 | 40.6 | 69 | 34 | 3 | 0 |
Kicker standout stat: Gonzalez made all eight of his field goals between 40-49 yards. He was one of just six kickers to accomplish such a feat with a minimum of eight attempts.
Punter standout stat: Pinion's 34 punts pinned within the 20-yard line led the NFL and set a Falcons franchise record, surpassing the 30 by Michael Koenen in 2007. Pinion also had 12 punts stuck within the 10-yard line, which ranked 12th in the league.
Players under contract for 2026:
- Long snapper Liam McCullough
- Punter Trenton Gill (reserve/future)
2026 Free agents:
- Kicker Zane Gonzalez
- Punter Bradley Pinion
Biggest question facing the position group in 2026:
Will the Falcons keep either Pinion or Gonzalez?
Pinion joined the Falcons in 2022 as a free agent with two previous stops on his resume since 2015. He never missed a game in his four seasons with Atlanta. This past season, he was a first-time captain, too. The Falcons know they can rely on him both on and off the field. However, that doesn't guarantee his return. Atlanta did sign Gill to a future/reserve contract.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, has a history of bopping around the NFL since getting his first opportunity in 2017. The longest he has stayed with one team is two full seasons, and that was the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-20. Overall, Gonzalez has kicked for five different teams. He provided the Falcons the consistency they desperately needed halfway through the 2025 season, but it has yet to be determined if he'll be back for a full season in 2026.
Join us as we take a look back on our favorite photos from gameday during the Atlanta Falcons' 2025-2026 season.
