The Dolphins are turning to Zane Gonzalez, and they made that call after a workout that also included Justin Tucker.
Miami is signing Gonzalez to a one-year deal for the 2026 season after evaluating both kickers, according to the source. Tucker, meanwhile, was one of the other names in the mix as he continues his attempt to return to the league.
Tucker was reinstated to the NFL in late July after serving a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Since then, he has worked out for the Jets, Saints, Colts and Dolphins. The longtime Ravens kicker was accused by many women of sexual misbehavior in massage sessions, which led Baltimore to move on from him.
Gonzalez, 31, arrives with a long trail through the league. A former seventh-round pick by the Browns in 2017, he was waived a few weeks into the regular season in his second year, despite being in the second season of his four-year, $2.48 million contract and set to make a base salary of $555,000 in 2018.
From there, his career kept bouncing around. Arizona first brought him to the practice squad, then promoted him to the active roster during the 2018 season. The Cardinals later put him on a one-year restricted tender in 2020 worth $3.27 million.
He hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in 2021 and signed a one-year deal with the Lions, but Detroit released him after the preseason and then brought him back on the practice squad before Carolina signed him to its active roster. The Panthers later gave him a two-year extension in 2022.
That run eventually took him to San Francisco, where he was traded to the 49ers in March 2023. He was later placed on injured reserve coming out of the preseason and cut in September. Washington added him to its practice squad in November, signed him to the active roster in December after elevating him three times, then brought him back on a one-year deal for 2025 before releasing him ahead of the season.
Gonzalez ended up with Atlanta in November 2025 and stayed there through the rest of the season. In 2025, he played in nine games for the Falcons and converted 19 of 22 field goal attempts, along with 17 of 18 extra-point tries.
Tucker’s résumé is a much longer one, built entirely in Baltimore. The Ravens signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012, brought him back as a restricted free agent in 2015, placed the franchise tag on him in 2016 and then rewarded him with a four-year extension. Baltimore later extended him again in 2019 for four years and $20 million.
He was still on the books for base salaries of $3.5 million and $3.55 million over the final two seasons of his deal when the Ravens gave him another four-year, $24 million extension. But the team released him in 2025 after accusations from sixteen different women of sexually inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.
On the field, Tucker played all 17 games for Baltimore in 2024 and finished 22 for 30 on field goals, a 73.3 percent mark, while making 60 of 62 extra points, or 96.8 percent.
In Other News...
Dolphins Fans Should Watch This Jaguars Trade Rumor Closely
Brian Thomas Jr. has become a name worth tracking far beyond Jacksonville, especially for a Dolphins team that has been searching for more help at wide receiver. The Jaguars young pass catcher has seen his role and production dip under the current coaching staff, and that downturn has only added fuel to the trade speculation around him. Miami, with its need for more talent at the position and a roster-building history that has leaned toward similar types of players, keeps coming up as a possible fit.
Jacksonvilles general manager has tried to tamp down the rumor mill, insisting the chatter is not driving the teams decisions. Still, Thomas reduced target share and the fact that his contract situation is getting closer to a pressure point make this the kind of situation that can linger, even when the public stance says otherwise. For Dolphins fans, the appeal is obvious, and so is the uncertainty, because a player like Thomas is exactly the sort of target that can move from speculation to something more serious quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Kicker Decision Just Added To Miamis Growing Questions
The Dolphins are adding another layer to an already uneasy early-season picture by bringing in Zane Gonzalez after a workout that also included Justin Tucker, pending a physical. For a team trying to steady itself after an 0-5 start, even the kicker decision has become part of the larger conversation around where Miami goes next and how it can start correcting course.
Jeff Hafley said the team is self-evaluating and considering adjustments, a comment that fits the mood around the building as the losses pile up. Tuckers presence in the workout drew attention because of his experience, but the broader takeaway is that Miami is still sorting through options at a position that can swing close games while the rest of the roster searches for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Kicking Problem Just Forced A Move Fans Saw Coming
The Dolphins have been searching for stability at kicker, and the latest move shows just how seriously theyre treating the issue. Miami is signing free agent Zane Gonzalez pending a physical after holding kicker workouts on Tuesday, a clear sign the team wanted another look at options as Riley Patterson has struggled with his field goal and extra point success rate this season.
Gonzalez is already familiar with the Dolphins building, having competed for the job earlier this offseason before an August injury derailed that run. He later reached an injury settlement with Miami, and now the door is open for another chance to claim the role if the physical checks out. [Read more 🡒]
