The Dolphins added some kicking insurance by elevating Zane Gonzalez and defensive end Max Llewellyn.
Gonzalez, 31, brings a long trail through the league before landing in Miami. A former seventh-round pick of the Browns in 2017, he was in the second year of a four-year, $2.48 million deal and was due a base salary of $555,000 in 2018 when Cleveland waived him a few weeks into the regular season.
From there, his path kept moving. The Cardinals signed him to their practice squad and later promoted him to the active roster during the 2018 season. Arizona then brought him back on a one-year restricted tender in 2020 worth $3.27 million.
He hit free agency for the first time in 2021 and signed a one-year contract with the Lions. Detroit released him after the preseason, then brought him back on the practice squad before Carolina signed him to its active roster.
Carolina later gave Gonzalez a two-year extension in 2022, but he was traded to the 49ers in March 2023. He ended up on injured reserve after the preseason and was cut in September.
Washington picked him up for its practice squad in November and signed him to the active roster in December after elevating him three times. The Commanders brought him back on a one-year deal for 2025, then let him go before the season started.
Gonzalez signed with Atlanta in November 2025 and stayed there for the rest of the season. Miami then signed him to a one-year deal for the 2026 season. In 2025, he played in nine games for the Falcons and hit 19 of 22 field goal attempts and 17 of 18 extra-point tries.
In Other News...
Dolphins O-Line Momentum Suddenly Hinges On A New Concern Up Front
Miamis offensive line has spent much of the season trying to find some stability, and the guard play has been a big reason the Dolphins have been able to lean on the run game. Kadyn Proctor and Jonah Savaiinaea have both logged heavy snap counts, and even with penalties and PFF grades that have dipped below league average at times, their presence has helped keep the interior moving in the right direction. Savaiinaeas return from an ankle injury has been especially important after the line had to absorb some early-season shuffling.
Now the momentum up front faces a fresh test with Proctor unavailable for Week 8 because of a concussion. For a unit that has already had to manage injuries while trying to build chemistry, losing one of its most-used guards adds another layer of uncertainty at exactly the wrong time. Miami has gotten enough from the pair to matter in the rushing attack, but the next stretch will show whether that progress can hold if the lineup has to change again. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Forced A Tough Dolphins Sideline Conversation After Costly Mistake
A promising third-down sequence against New England took a sharp turn for Miami after Ollie Gordon II was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following a short run, turning a manageable spot into a much tougher one for the offense. In the heat of the moment, Malik Willis made sure the message was heard on the sideline, confronting Gordon about the mistake and stressing the kind of accountability that can keep a drive from slipping away.
Willis did not leave it there, though. Even while calling out the error, he backed Gordon as a teammate and made clear the issue was about cleaning up the details, not creating a divide, which is the sort of exchange that can matter in a tight game and, just as importantly, in a locker room trying to stay connected as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Let Another Sloppy Patriots Loss Spiral In The Second Half
A wet, sloppy Week 8 loss in New England left the Dolphins staring at another game that got away in the second half, this one a 24-19 defeat that pushed the Patriots to their fifth win of the season. Miami had to navigate a Patriots offense missing A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson, but the bigger issue was how quickly the game tilted once the conditions and the pressure started to pile up.
Drake Maye made the most of a clean, efficient day, going 16 of 20 for 207 yards and three touchdowns while the Patriots kept Miami under constant stress up front. The Patriots also lost tight end Hunter Henry to a foot injury and never got him back, but their defense still found enough disruption to keep the Dolphins from turning the game into a late comeback. [Read more 🡒]