Zane Gonzalez
Getty
The Dolphins have signed Zane Gonzalez to a one-year contract in free agency
The Miami Dolphins have spent the early part of the offseason gutting their roster. With a new regime taking over and immediately looking to conduct a rebuild, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has conducted a fire sale of sorts, as he’s released or traded a handful of players ahead of the start of the new league year.
After he missed the entire 2025 campaign with a hip injury, kicker Jason Sanders was part of the group of players who got released by Miami’s new-look front office. As a result, the team was expected to look for his replacement in free agency, and it appears to have found its replacement for Sanders in veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez.
Dolphins Sign Zane Gonzalez to 1-Year Contract
Mike McCartney
Excited for Zane Gonzalez agreeing to a 1 year deal with the @MiamiDolphins
Sanders had been the Dolphins’ kicker since 2018, but with his injury status clouding his future, the team decided to move on from him. Riley Patterson was Miami’s kicker for the 2025 campaign, and he turned in the best year of his career, as he made 27 of his 29 field goal attempts and 34 of his 35 extra point attempts.
It wasn’t good enough for him to hold onto the job, though, as the Dolphins appear set to move on from him in free agency. Instead of re-signing Patterson, Miami has opted to take a closer look at Gonzalez, who has been kicking in the NFL since 2017 after getting selected in the seventh round of the draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Gonzalez has struggled to find any sort of consistency, resulting in him bouncing between several teams to begin his career. He spent nine games with the Atlanta Falcons in 2025, making 19 of his 22 field goal attempts and 17 of his 18 extra point attempts. It was a limited sample size, but that was one of the better stretches of Gonzalez’s career, and it has reportedly earned him a one-year contract from the Dolphins in free agency.
“Excited for Zane Gonzalez agreeing to a 1 year deal with the Miami Dolphins,” Gonzalez’s agent, Mike McCartney of VaynerSports, shared in a post on X.
Dolphins Fill Key Area of Need Early in Free Agency
Zane Gonzalez
GettyThe Dolphins have signed Zane Gonzalez to a one-year contract in free agency
There’s still a chance that the Dolphins could add some competition for Gonzalez, whether it be in free agency or the draft. Patterson was solid last season, so if he doesn’t land with another team, it could make sense to bring him back to town to battle with Gonzalez for the starting job. However, that could be something that Miami waits until training camp to do, as they have bigger fish they need to fry right now.
The Dolphins still have some solid young players, such as running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, leading the way, but after moving on from so many talented players, it’s going to take some time for this team to get back on the right track. Look for Miami to be a bit more active in free agency over the next few days as the front office looks to replenish its roster.