Miami Dolphins Signing Zane Gonzalez After Kicking Struggles
The Miami Dolphins are making a change at kicker as they look to address one of several disappointing areas of their football team.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Dolphins are signing veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez after a Tuesday workout that also included former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker. The agreement is pending Gonzalez passing a physical.
The move comes as Miami enters Week 7 of the NFL season still searching for its first victory, with inconsistent special teams play becoming another concern for head coach Jeff Hafley and his coaching staff.
Riley Patterson‘s Struggles Lead to a Change
The decision to bring in Gonzalez appears directly tied to current Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson’s struggles.
In Miami’s first five games of the 2026 season, Patterson has converted only five of seven field-goal attempts and missed an extra point. In addition to those misses, Patterson has reportedly struggled with kickoff execution, drawing criticism from the coaching staff.
Patterson has had a disappointing start, especially given how well he performed for Miami during the 2025 season.
Last year, Patterson converted 27 of 29 field goal attempts, an impressive 93.1% success rate. He also made 34 of 35 extra-point attempts and appeared to have established himself as a dependable option.
Unfortunately, that success hasn’t carried over into 2026.
For a Dolphins team already struggling offensively, leaving potential points on the field is something the coaching staff cannot afford.
Zane Gonzalez Returns to Miami
Interestingly, Gonzalez is no stranger to the Dolphins organization.
Miami originally signed Gonzalez in free agency in March to compete with Patterson for the starting kicking job after longtime kicker Jason Sanders departed.
However, Gonzalez suffered an injury during training camp, was placed on injured reserve in August, and was eventually released.
Now, just a few months later, Gonzalez is getting another opportunity in Miami.
The 31-year-old veteran entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2017 after a successful college career at Arizona State.
Throughout his NFL career, Gonzalez has played for several organizations, including the Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, and Atlanta Falcons.
Most recently, Gonzalez appeared in nine games for Atlanta during the 2025 season, converting 19 of 22 field goal attempts and 17 of 18 extra-point attempts.
In his career, Gonzalez has made 115 of 142 field goal attempts (81.0%) and 163 of 171 extra-point attempts.
While those numbers don’t necessarily make Gonzalez one of the NFL’s elite kickers, he brings experience and a recent track record of solid production.
Dolphins Also Worked Out Justin Tucker
One of the more interesting aspects of Tuesday’s news is that Miami reportedly also worked out former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was once considered one of the greatest kickers in NFL history.
However, his production declined in 2024, when he converted just 22 of 30 field-goal attempts.
Tucker was released by Baltimore in 2025 following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior involving massage therapists. Tucker has denied wrongdoing.
Ultimately, Miami elected to move forward with Gonzalez rather than Tucker.
Miami’s Special Teams Must Improve
While much of the attention surrounding the Dolphins’ winless start has centered on Malik Willis, the offense, and the defense, Miami’s special teams have also contributed to the team’s problems.
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor needs to get more consistent production from his unit, and the expected signing of Gonzalez clearly indicates the organization isn’t satisfied with the status quo.
The Dolphins are in the early stages of a significant roster rebuild, but that doesn’t mean they should accept mistakes in the kicking game.
For a young football team trying to establish a winning culture, execution matters.
Missed field goals, missed extra points, and poor kickoff execution can turn competitive games into losses.
Bringing in Gonzalez won’t solve all of Miami’s problems, but it could eliminate one area of uncertainty.
Sources: The #Dolphins are signing K Zane Gonzalez after a workout today that I’m told also included 7× Pro Bowler Justin Tucker.
Gonzalez is set to join Miami pending a physical. https://t.co/TFxpkE0Tm8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 20, 2026
What’s Next for the Dolphins?
Assuming Gonzalez passes his physical and officially joins the roster, the next question is what Miami will do with Patterson.
The Dolphins could release Patterson and move forward with Gonzalez as their primary kicker, though the organization has not yet announced a corresponding roster move.
Miami returns from its bye week to face the New York Jets this Sunday in a matchup that could be its first win of the season.
If Gonzalez is ready to play, he could kick in an important divisional game almost immediately after returning to the organization.
For a Dolphins team desperately searching for positive momentum, even a seemingly minor roster change could make a difference.
The bottom line: Miami has too many problems to allow its kicking game to become another weekly concern. Gonzalez may not be a long-term solution, but the Dolphins clearly hope he can provide more consistency than they’ve seen in the first five games.
And at this point in the season, any improvement would be welcome.