Falcons’ kicking situation: Nick Folk released, Jake Moody signed to take over

The Atlanta Falcons have answered their kicking-question quickly: they released veteran Nick Folk and signed Jake Moody to handle kicking duties. The move came as the team returned to Flowery Branch after a week that included time away for a game preparation trip and a pair of days off.

Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said the decision involved extensive internal discussion about what was best for the team at “this moment,” adding that he and his staff had weighed alternatives across multiple conversations. Stefanski praised Folk as a person, but said the team ultimately moved on because it believed it was the right football call.

Through nine games in Atlanta, Folk converted 13 of 18 field goals (72.2%). The team’s official review also pointed to multiple misses across the season, including two field goals in the season opener and additional misses later that included a 38-yard attempt against the Bengals in Madrid.

Folk’s season-ending stretch also mattered historically to the evaluation: the miss snapped his 107-consecutive field goals from 0 to 39 yards, a streak that had been the longest such run in roughly four decades. Falcons officials also noted that after he entered the 2026 season with a strong historical profile, the version of Folk they expected was not the one they got.

Moody’s path to Atlanta is different. The Falcons signed him off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, bringing in a kicker with prior NFL experience that included a rookie season with the 49ers that featured 21 made field goals on 25 attempts and 60 extra points on 61 tries. The team is now betting on a steadier kicking presence as it absorbs multiple roster changes from the trade deadline week.