One day the Panthers will find their kicker. Will it be today?
The Carolina Panthers are continuing their search for a replacement to, uh, John Kasay. They released kicker Ryan Santoso this morning (thus retaining the 2022 seventh round pick they had conditionally traded to the New York Giants). Now, they have signed Zane Gonzalez off of the Detriot Lions practice squad.
Zane Gonzalez is the Panthers new kicker, per @daringantt. Signed off the Lions practice squad. Worked out w/ the Panthers in their rookie minicamp.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 14, 2021
Gonzalez will get a longer tryout than Santoso did, as the Panthers will be required to keep him on their active roster for three weeks. This is a function of the rules governing signing a player from another team’s practice squad.
This signing comes with the most professional experience the team has had in the kicking competition since Graham Gano. Gonzalez has kicked in 55 games from the 2017 through the 2020 season for the Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. In his career, he has made 71 of 91 field goal attempts with a long of 56 yards. He has also converted 105 of 111 extra point attempts.
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