Report: Falcons to work out Matt Bryant Friday

Matt Bryant may be coming back to Atlanta.

After an ugly breakup in February, the Falcons may have decided to bring back the 8^th most accurate kicker in NFL history, Matt “Money” Bryant, though that decision will presumably be pending tomorrow’s workout. This all comes following a summer in which Giorgio Tavecchio, the man the Falcons hand-picked to take over for Bryant, endured a shaky preseason where he missed a few kicks. Blair Walsh is currently the other kicker in Atlanta, and he and Tavecchio are still the guys expected to be kicking tonight against the Jaguars.

Matt Bryant currently has the most points scored in franchise history, and with Tavecchio looking shaky, it would not be surprising if the Falcons elected to bring him back in a season where they have Super Bowl aspirations. Bryant has worked out all off season to stay in kicking shape, following a hamstring injury which occurred in 2018 while making a 57-yard field goal. The only real surprise here is that the Falcons elected to do this after releasing Bryant earlier in the year and seemingly committing to Tavecchio, but missed field goals tend to fray a commitment pretty quickly.

Personally, I believe there’s a lot left in the tank for Matt Bryant, even if it’s only for a season. Even with his injury last season, he still went 20/21 (four of which were from 50+) and recorded his most accurate kicking percentage of his historic NFL career. We’ll see if this is a move to update the team’s call list or if the Falcons are planning to sign Bryant no matter what happens tonight against the Jaguars.

Update I: ESPN’s Vaughn McClure has since confirmed the workout.

Update II: ESPN’s Adam Schefter appears to suggest that Bryant is indeed expected to sign with the Falcons. Assuming Bryant is healthy, he may be a Falcon by tomorrow afternoon.