The Miami Dolphins are turning back to a familiar leg as they try to steady one of the shakier parts of their kicking game.
On Tuesday, the team worked out several free-agent kickers, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Miami is signing Zane Gonzalez pending a physical.
Gonzalez, 31, has bounced around the league with the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons. Across those stops, he has converted 115 of 142 field goals, an 81% clip, and 163 of 171 extra points, good for 95.3%.
This isn’t new territory for the Dolphins and Gonzalez. Miami had him in the mix for the job earlier this offseason, but an injury in August sent him to injured reserve before he and the team reached an injury settlement.
The move comes with Riley Patterson struggling to lock things down. Patterson has made 7 of 9 field goals this season, which is 77.8%, and 5 of 6 extra points, or 83.3%.
Head coach Jeff Hafley also made it clear Monday that the kickoffs have been a problem, a situation that likely pushed the Dolphins toward another change.
"We did try to kick them out of the end zone; that was discussedand just not executed the way that we wanted it to be," Hafley said. "Now fortunately, we covered a bunch of those kicks better than we did on the first time.
And yeah, they had a nice return on the big return, obviously we didn't execute it very well. So I would say it's a combination of lack of execution on the big one.
Good execution on their part, I don't want to take that away from them. And then on the ensuing kickoffs, yeah, several of them were supposed to be touchbacks and weren't."
In Other News...
Dolphins Kicking Decision Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
The Dolphins spent time sorting through the kicking market this summer, and the picture has only gotten murkier. Justin Tucker was reinstated to the NFL in late July after serving a 10-game suspension for violating the leagues personal conduct policy, then went through workouts with the Jets, Saints, Colts and Dolphins as teams weighed whether to bring him in.
Miamis path at the position appears to be moving in a different direction, with Zane Gonzalez now part of the conversation after a career that has included several signings and releases. He most recently landed a one-year deal with the Dolphins for the 2026 season, a move that gives the team another layer to its kicking plans as the Tucker situation continues to linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]