FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have signed Australian punter Matthew Hayball after a two-day tryout during the team's mandatory minicamp. He has been designated as the team's exempt international player, which means he will not count against the team's 90-man roster limit.
Hayball was one of six players the Falcons invited to try out during minicamp, and he showed enough to earn a roster spot ahead of the team's training camp in late July. Born in West Adelaide, Australia, Hayball played college football at Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft and won the starting punter job during the preseason.
Hayball played in all 17 games for the Saints during the 2024 season and averaged 44 yards per punt on 75 kicks. He led the NFL with 41 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and had only three kicks result in a touchback, one of the lowest figures in the league.
The NFL's International Player Pathway program was created to help identify and develop talented players from overseas. Hayball joins a position group that includes veteran Jake Bailey, who signed with the Falcons as a free agent this offseason.
