Updated March 20, 2026, 3:01 p.m. ET
The Atlanta Falcons have added over a dozen players in NFL free agency, including two new special teams starters. In the first wave of moves under general manager Ian Cunningham, the team signed former New York Jets kicker Nick Folk and former Miami Dolphins punter Jake Bailey.
Folk will replace former Falcons kicker Zane Gonzalez, who signed with Atlanta in the middle of last season and helped stabilize the position. Meanwhile, Bailey steps in for veteran punter Bradley Pinion, who spent the last four years with the Falcons.
Gonzalez and Pinion both signed one-year contracts with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, meaning they can continue to build off of the chemistry they formed in Atlanta last season. Pinion and Bailey are essentially just switching places in 2026.
However, the Miami-Atlanta special teams connections don’t end there. The Falcons hired former Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman for the same role in Atlanta.
“Basically, my whole thing is we wanna teach these guys whatever we can to help our team win,” Aukerman said at his introductory press conference last month.
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The Falcons are also happy to land Folk, even at age 41. The 18-year veteran was the NFL’s most accurate kicker last season. Folk will look to bring that success to Atlanta in 2026.
