Age caught up to Matt Bryant a bit on Sunday. On a critical 57-yard field goal late against the Bucs, Bryant needed a little extra oomph to get it over the crossbar. Fortunately, he got just enough to extend the Falcons lead to 5 points. However, the 43-year old suffered what looked to be a pretty severe hamstring injury and could miss some significant time.
The Falcons have already announced that Bryant, along with Devonta Freeman, are unlikely to play in their Monday Night showdown with the Giants.
https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1051917647900803074
Luckily, Atlanta has a bye the week after this matchup and they could expect to see Bryant back on the field the following week against the Redskins. But while I am not 43, I imagine hamstring injuries take a little bit longer heal at that age. With the Falcons currently at 2-4 and needing every win they can get from here on out, losing Bryant for a long period would be another devastating injury blow.
In the meantime, the Falcons’ search for a replacement is on. Giorgio Tavecchio is a name that has been thrown around a lot. Tavecchio spent 2017 with the Raiders, making 16 of his 21 field goal attempts and 33 out of 34 extra point attempts.
The #Falcons are likely to sign FA K Giorgio Tavecchio to be their kicker this week, source said. He was with them in camp. Starter Matt Bryant is dealing with a hamstring injury.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 16, 2018
He was with the Falcons during the preseason and makes sense if the injury is expected to be short-term. However, if the injury to Bryant causes him to miss more than a couple games, Atlanta will likely perform a more extensive search.
Update: The Falcons have officially signed kicker Giorgio Tavecchio.