Atlanta Falcons will be on the market for a new kicker in the offseason, after deciding to part ways with veteran Matt Bryant. Falcons decided that they won’t exercise the team option on Bryant’s contract, making him a free agent.
“I am extremely grateful for everything that Matt Bryant has done for this organization over the last 10 years,” – said Atlanta’s general manager Thomas Dimitroff in a statement on Wednesday. “There is no doubt he is one of the all-time great Falcons as he’s been an integral part of our success. This was a difficult decision but one that was necessary for us to move forward into 2019. We have the utmost respect for the person and the player that Matt is, and we wish he and his family the best going forward.”
Bryant had two years left on his deal with Falcons and was set to earn $3.5 million in 2019. By waiving him now, Atlanta managed to $2.8 million against the cap space for the next season.
Prior to team’s official statement, the 43-year-old shared the news about the move with his social media followers.
Matt Bryant spent the early part of his career with several NFL teams, including Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before joining Atlanta Falcons in 2009. He went on to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,122 points while managing to earn one Pro Bowl appearance in 2016.
Bryant’s NFL career stats include 388 made field goals with 86.2 percent accuracy.
