The Atlanta Falcons have spent the better part of the last two seasons searching for stability at kicker, cycling through multiple options while struggling to find a dependable answer in critical moments. 

After going through a lot of kickers in recent years, Atlanta believed it had finally found that consistency by bringing in veteran Nick Folk. However, even with his impressive track record, the Falcons are experiencing some familiar problems.

Folk’s recent struggles have brought renewed attention to the position, making special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman’s confidence in the veteran especially important as the season progresses.

Through eight games, Folk has converted 12 of his 16 field goal attempts and missed an extra point, snapping a streak of 67 consecutive successful extra-point attempts. That is a significant departure from his previous three seasons, when he missed just one field goal in each campaign and consistently ranked among the NFL’s most accurate kickers. 

The Falcons’ problems at kicker extend beyond Folk’s current season.

Atlanta went through three different kickers in 2025, with Younghoe Koo, John Parker Romo and Zane Gonzalez all getting opportunities. The trio combined to make 32 of 39 field goal attempts, an 82% conversion rate that ranked among the league’s worst.

There were several costly moments along the way, including Koo’s missed potential game-tying field goal against Tampa Bay in Week 1 and Romo’s missed extra point in a one-point loss to New England.

Those struggles ultimately contributed to Atlanta making a change in the offseason, bringing in Folk and Aukerman in hopes of establishing a more reliable special teams unit. 

Folk appeared to be the right answer. Before joining Atlanta, he had led the NFL in field goal percentage in each of the previous three seasons, including a 96.6% mark with the New York Jets in 2025.

Now, the Falcons need that same consistency to return.

Despite the recent misses, Aukerman continues to stand behind his veteran kicker. Speaking to reporters in Madrid ahead of Sunday’s international matchup, Aukerman explained that much of his responsibility involves maintaining Folk’s confidence rather than overcorrecting his technique.

“It’s a little bit of the rain, it’s a little bit of distance, it’s the weather — it’s all these different types of things,” Aukerman said when discussing Folk’s missed 53-yard attempt against Tampa Bay. “And Nick will tell you the first thing, it’s no excuse. Same thing with me. But it just went over to the left a little bit and it’s unfortunate the rain started coming down really hard at that time. But it is what it is.” 

Aukerman also emphasized the importance of moving forward instead of allowing one missed opportunity to affect the next.

“My biggest thing is I just want to support him, make sure that he knows that I’m there,” Aukerman said during an earlier press conference. “If he does miss a kick, I know the next one, we have all the confidence in the world with him.”

That relationship could become one of Atlanta’s biggest advantages moving forward. Aukerman previously worked with Folk in Tennessee in 2023, when the veteran enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career. Their familiarity gives the Falcons an established working relationship rather than forcing a kicker and coach to build trust from scratch.

Atlanta has already experienced what happens when consistency is missing at the position. The organization made a significant investment in Folk because of his experience and production, and abandoning that approach after a difficult stretch would be premature.

With Aukerman continuing to offer his support, Atlanta hopes its latest kicking solution can finally end a frustrating stretch at one of football’s most important positions.