Zane Gonzalez Lands on IR, Handing Miami's Kicking Job to Riley Patterson
Gonzalez is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, leaving Riley Patterson as the only kicker on Miami's 90-man roster.
Only kicker in Miami right now, but wait for the depth chart to settle.
- Gonzalez placed on IR with undisclosed injury
- Patterson now Miami's only kicker on 90-man roster
- Gonzalez: 74 PPR pts in 9 games (2025)
- Patterson: 115 PPR pts in 17 games (2025)
- McCloud signed; RB Anthony Hankerson waived
The Dolphins placed kicker Zane Gonzalez on injured reserve after he suffered an undisclosed injury over the weekend. Head coach Jeff Hafley described him as week-to-week on Monday morning, and per the move's structure, Gonzalez can be released once he's healthy enough to play again.
That leaves Riley Patterson as the last kicker standing on Miami's 90-man roster. Patterson posted 115 PPR points across 17 games last season (2025), while Gonzalez managed 74 in nine games (2025). For now, the leg belongs to Patterson by default.
Miami didn't stop there. The team signed defensive back Nick McCloud and waived running back Anthony Hankerson to clear the spot. McCloud brings real mileage — 27 tackles and two passes defensed across 15 games with the Bears last season, plus stops with the 49ers, Giants and Bengals over a 63-game career.
The Fantasy Fallout
Kicker isn't exactly the position you build a roster around, and neither of these names is a difference-maker. Patterson checks in at #171 overall in our rankings (#18 at the position), and his last five games ran 6.8 fantasy points below his season average. He's the guy with the job, but the arrow isn't pointing up.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, was already buried at #243 overall (#29 among kickers) before the injury, and his final five outings came in 8.2 points under his own average. An IR stint on top of that form makes him a non-factor for redraft purposes and a likely release candidate once healthy.
The action here is simple: if you're in a deep league that starts a kicker, park Patterson on your watch list until Miami's camp battle clarifies. He's the incumbent right now, but a struggling replacement kicker with no competition tends to invite competition. Don't spend a roster spot until the job is truly his.
