The Falcons made another move in a busy week on Wednesday, cutting veteran kicker Nick Folk and bringing in Jake Moody to handle the job.
Atlanta signed Moody, a former San Francisco draft pick, after waiving Folk following Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Moody was pulled from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.
The switch comes after Folk’s latest miss proved costly. He pushed a 38-yard attempt wide left in Sunday’s 34-17 loss to Cincinnati, ending a run of 107 straight made field goals from inside 40 yards.
Folk, 42, had been steady for much of his first season in Atlanta. He made 13 of 18 field goals after missing only one kick in each of his previous three seasons.
Moody arrives with a recent long-range make on his résumé. The 26-year-old drilled a 53-yard field goal in the rain during Baltimore’s 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday.
Atlanta’s roster shuffle didn’t stop there. The Folk decision followed two major trades before Tuesday’s deadline.
On Monday, the Falcons dealt safety Jessie Bates III to the Jaguars for a 2027 second-round draft choice and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Then on Tuesday, the team sent starting center Ryan Neuzil to Baltimore for offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round selection.
The Falcons also activated offensive tackle Cameron Williams from injured reserve to the active roster.
What remains unclear is whether Moody will take over kickoff duties as well, or whether more roster changes are coming before the next game.
In Other News...
Falcons Defense Faces A Brutal Mahomes Problem This Week
Patrick Mahomes spent the week listed with an elbow strain and sprain, but he practiced fully and is expected to be out there in Week 10 when the Falcons meet the Chiefs. For Atlanta, that changes the conversation from whether Kansas City might be shorthanded to how much damage Mahomes can still do even while working through an injury, especially against a defense that has to be ready for the speed and rhythm of the Chiefs passing game.
The challenge gets even trickier because Kansas City does not need to lean on one thing to move the ball. Kenneth Walker III gives the Chiefs a strong ground element, while Mahomes and the passing attack can still stress a defense with quick throws and yards after the catch. For the Falcons, the problem is less about one matchup and more about surviving the full menu of what Kansas City can throw at them. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Bring Kicker Drama Into Falcons Game With Bigger Question Looming
Harrison Butkers recent run of missed field goals has become one of the quieter but more persistent issues hanging over Kansas City, with the veteran kicker coming up short in recent games against the Seahawks and Broncos. Even so, the Chiefs are not making a change just yet, and the situation now follows them into a matchup with Atlanta, where special teams could matter as much as anything else if the game stays tight.
Andy Reid is keeping Butker in the lineup for now, even as the Chiefs have added Justin Tucker to the practice squad and left the door open to a possible shakeup later. For the Falcons, it is the kind of subplot worth watching from afar, because a team that has been steady enough to keep its footing in the standings could still end up facing a very different kicking picture before long. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Drew A Hard Line In Their Rebuild
The Falcons were willing to make real moves at the NFL trade deadline, sending away key starters Jessie Bates III and Ryan Neuzil as they continue reshaping the roster. But the front office also made clear there is a difference between retooling and tearing it down, and some names were never part of the conversation in the same way. Atlantas approach suggests a rebuild with boundaries, not a full-scale purge.
One of those boundaries was Bijan Robinson. The Giants reportedly checked in on the running back, but Atlanta never seriously entertained the idea of moving him, a sign of how firmly the team views him as part of its long-term core. For a franchise trying to build around young talent, keeping Robinson out of the deadline churn says plenty about where the Falcons believe their foundation already is. [Read more 🡒]