Atlanta Falcons Sign Cleveland Browns' Kicker

The Atlanta Falcons have signed a kicker away from the Cleveland Browns.

Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Riley Patterson (15) kicks off during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns have had two kickers competing with each other for playing time. Dustin Hopkins and Riley Patterson have been battling for the job.

Patterson took over the kicking duties for the Browns in last week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he is no longer with the team.

According to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have signed Patterson of the Cleveland practice squad.

The #Falcons are signing K Riley Patterson off the #Browns practice squad onto the 53-man roster, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2024

After just one game with the Browns, Patterson ended up making his one extra point attempt last week. He played for Cleveland in 2023 for two games, making his one field goal and connecting on six of his seven extra points.

At 25 years old, Patterson has a chance to continue improving his numbers and earning a bigger and more consistent opportunity.

There is a very real chance that he could have ended up winning the Browns' kicker job moving forward. Hopkins has struggled and it was clear that the franchise was starting to consider making a move.

Speaking of Hopkins, he has made just 16 of his 25 field goal attempts this season and has missed two extra points in 18 tries as well. Hopkins is also 34 years and it seems plausible that Cleveland could decide to go a different direction.

That being said, Patterson is no longer that direction.

For the Falcons, this was a move made due to Younghoe Koo getting injured during the team's Monday Night Football matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. He could be in danger of missing Week 16, which made the move for Patterson a clear need.

In the future, there is still a chance that the Browns could reunite with Patterson. If they believe that he could be their long-term future at the position, they could target him when Koo gets back to full health and Atlanta moves on from Patterson.