Jason Sanders and the Dolphins’ Kicker Reset as 2025 Approaches
jason sanders is now central to Miami’s kicking conversation after the Dolphins released the former kicker earlier this month and moved quickly to a new option with a one-year agreement for Zane Gonzalez.
What Happens When Jason Sanders is replaced in Miami’s kicking room?
Zane Gonzalez has agreed to a one-year deal with Miami, a move communicated by his agent, Mike McCartney. The agreement comes in the wake of the Dolphins releasing jason sanders earlier this month after he missed the 2025 season due to injury.
The decision sequence is clear: Miami parted ways with its previous kicker and then reached an agreement with Gonzalez, setting a new direction at a position where availability and recent performance can define roster choices.
What If Zane Gonzalez’s recent efficiency carries over?
Gonzalez, 30, spent the latter half of last season kicking for the Falcons. In nine games, he made 19-of-22 field goals and 17-of-18 extra points. That stretch offers Miami a recent sample of productivity as the team transitions following the release of jason sanders.
While the deal terms beyond length are not detailed here, the one-year structure indicates a near-term approach that aligns with a position often evaluated year-to-year based on results and health.
What Happens When durability becomes the deciding variable?
Gonzalez’s career includes both movement and missed time. He began his pro career as a Browns seventh-round pick in 2017, then kicked for the Cardinals for a couple of years. He missed the 2022 season with a quad injury and missed the 2023 season with another injury.
After 2021, he again appeared in a regular season game with Washington in 2024. Miami’s agreement with Gonzalez follows that path of stops and starts, and it lands at a moment when the Dolphins have already made a definitive change by releasing jason sanders after an injury-related absence.
For Miami, the kicker position now shifts from the outgoing veteran to a one-year solution with a documented recent run of accuracy, alongside a history that includes seasons lost to injury.
