Falcons re-sign kicker Matt Bryant

It was all but guaranteed after news broke that he was heading to Flowery Branch for a workout, but the Falcons are apparently signing kicker Matt Bryant for 2019. We have been waiting all offseason for this news to break.

While that gif doesn’t come right out and say the team re-signed Bryant, the Falcons did confirm the move in a separate tweet.

Thomas Dimitroff explained the process to re-sign Bryant in a video shared by the team.

It’s a one-year, $3 million deal for Bryant, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bryant, of course, is the top scorer in team history, edging out Morten Anderson by 316 points. He will certainly look to further cement his name in Falcons history by adding to his 1,122 team points.

The Falcons surprisingly turned down a team option to keep Bryant through 2019. Giorgio Tavecchio was signed after Bryant was injured in 2018 and was perfect kicking in relief. However, his record with the Oakland Raiders was not nearly as error-free, and he had limited American football kicking experience. A training camp battle would have been much less risky, but perhaps the team wanted Tavecchio to feel confident in his spot.

Tavecchio, of course, missed multiple kicks in preseason, including a 39 yarder. After the Falcons signed Blair Walsh for competition, Walsh went a putrid 5 for 9 in open practice. With mounting pressure, Tavecchio missed multiple kicks in the final week of preseason.

Bryant’s signing means a few things. First, Blair Walsh’s solid preseason performance was not enough to keep his roster spot. Second, Bryant is healthy. The team was certainly worried about Bryant’s nagging injuries, including back injuries, considering his age.

It is hard not to be excited about the move. Bryant has been the team’s kicker since 2009 and has been killing it since. He should provide a solid kicking option this year. The Falcons have now addressed their weakest roster spot.