The Falcons spent last season learning the hard way that a kicker can swing everything.
Atlanta’s 2025 losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and New York Jets all came with missed field goals in the rearview mirror, the kind of ugly detail that can change a season in a hurry. If the Falcons are serious about reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017, that’s the sort of margin they can’t afford to keep bleeding away.
That’s why Nick Folk looks like such a big deal in Atlanta right now. The Falcons have already seen enough this preseason to understand they’ve made a major upgrade at the position, and they keep getting fresh reminders of it.
Younghoe Koo, a fan favorite from 2019-2025 and a Georgia Southern alum, lost his job after the missed game-winner against the Buccaneers in Week 1, a moment that turned out to be a bleak preview of the rest of the year. Parker Romo was also cut loose in the middle of the season and remains unemployed. Zane Gonzalez, the third kicker on the 2025 roster, drew some fan support late in the year, but ties to the new staff and to Folk ultimately pushed Gonzalez to Miami.
Folk has the résumé to back up the move. The Pro Bowler has converted 431 of 507 field goal attempts, good for 85.0 percent, and 533 of 550 extra point tries, a 96.9 percent clip. He ranks 12th all-time in NFL field goals, which makes him the highest-ranked active kicker in the league.
He’s also already been sharp in his two Falcons preseason outings. Folk has been perfect on extra points and drilled field goals from 50 and 51 yards in the win over the Colts.
At 41, Folk is deep into his second decade in the league, and he comes by his kicking instincts naturally. One brother played soccer at UCLA and professionally for the LA Galaxy, while another was a placekicker at the University of Washington.
Nineteen NFL seasons tend to leave a mark, and Folk still sounds like someone who enjoys every snap of it. “Always excited,” Folk said. “I tell everyone there’s nothing like playing on Sundays, being in front of your people, your fans.”
There’s also a built-in comfort level with the Falcons’ staff. Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman coached Folk with the Tennessee Titans from 2023 to 2024, giving Atlanta another reason to trust the veteran.
The latest proof of what Folk can still do came with the Jets last season, when he made 28 of 29 field goal attempts for a 96.55 percent rate and hit a long of 58 yards. For a Falcons team that spent too much of 2025 wishing it had that kind of steadiness, the appeal is obvious. He’ll also be kicking indoors for the first time since 2009.
And yes, there’s one more reminder of why this matters: Folk was the one who knocked through a 56-yard field goal as time expired against the Jets, the kick that ended the Falcons’ 2025 playoff hopes.
Atlanta is betting on sustained success from its new kicker. After everything last season put them through, that bet feels pretty easy to understand.
In Other News...
Falcons Quarterback Questions Just Pulled Them Into A Trade Rumor
Anthony Richardsons status in Indianapolis has become one of the more closely watched quarterback storylines of the preseason, and it is the kind that naturally sends ripples through the league. Drafted fourth overall in 2023, Richardson has flashed enough talent to keep the Colts invested, but his uneven preseason has left the team weighing its options as final roster cuts approach.
Richardson had asked for a trade earlier this offseason, though no deal materialized, and the Colts still appear inclined to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. With head coach Shane Steichen announcing that Richardson will start the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, he gets one more chance to strengthen his case and quiet the uncertainty that has surrounded him. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Pass Rush Suddenly Has An Unexpected Player To Watch
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For a defense dealing with a depleted pass-rush picture because of injuries and suspensions, that kind of emergence is impossible to ignore. Banks has gone from an overlooked name to a player worth tracking as roster decisions loom, and his preseason work is at least putting him in the conversation for a role on the Falcons defensive line this season. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Make Sense In One Bears Trade Scenario
The Bears reported trade talks involving defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. have quickly created a little intrigue around the league, and Atlanta is one of the teams that fits cleanly into the conversation. Dexter is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which gives Chicago a decision to make, and the Falcons stand out because these kinds of moves often follow familiar coaching and front-office ties as much as pure roster need.
From Atlantas perspective, the connection is easy to see, even if nothing is imminent. The Falcons have been mentioned among several possible destinations, alongside the 49ers, Titans, Giants and Eagles, and that keeps this from feeling like a random name being floated for clicks. Whether Chicago actually moves Dexter will determine how far the interest goes, but the fit is enough to make the speculation feel a lot more grounded than most early-season trade chatter. [Read more 🡒]