Buccaneers fans can only shake their heads as Nick Folk thrives with Falcons

For Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, the name Nick Folk might cause some PTSD.

Folk was the epitome of the Buccaneers’ kicker curse. He’s made 85% of his field goals in his 18-year career, and has been one of the league’s best and most consistent kickers. He’s had just one season in which he made under 75% of his field goals — and that came with the Buccaneers in 2017, when he made just 54.6% of his kicks and was cut after four games. 

The worst came in a 19-14 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots. The young Bucs had a chance to pull off a major upset over Tom Brady in primetime, but Folk missed all three of his field goal attempts, ultimately costing Tampa Bay the game. 

Nearly a decade later, Folk is still going strong. He made 96.6% of his kicks for the New York Jets last season — tying him for the NFL’s highest field-goal percentage among kickers with at least 20 attempts. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, and Bucs fans can only shake their heads as reports surface that he’s been perfect at training camp. 

Nick Folk’s success with the Atlanta Falcons is a painful reminder for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans

The Falcons struggled mightily to find stability at the kicker position in 2025. They cycled through three different kickers in Younghoe Koo, Parker Romo, and Zane Gonzalez.

Bucs fans will remember last year’s season opener, when Younghoe Koo missed a game-tying field goal in the final seconds, allowing Tampa Bay to escape with a narrow 23-20 victory. 

The Buccaneers can relate to those kicking woes all too well, as it was a years-long Achilles’ heel in Tampa Bay until the Bucs finally found an answer in Ryan Succop, who was followed by Chase “Money” McLaughlin. 

Now, it seems Atlanta may follow suit and put their kicking struggles behind them entering 2026, with Folk providing the stability — much to Bucs fans’ dismay.

Blogging Dirty’s Falcons contributor Garrett Klaus recapped Folk’s success early in training camp. 

"Folk went 6-for-6 on field goals during Day 5 of training camp, connecting from as far out as 51 yards… Two days later, he followed that up by going a perfect 7-for-7 with a long of 51 (on a bobbled hold) on Day 7. For a team that spent the last two seasons watching its kicking game implode in real time, that kind of perfection felt awesome to see."

Garrett Klaus, Blogging Dirty

With the teams set to face off twice this season, Folk’s steady leg could have a negative impact on the Buccaneers. 

It feels eerily reminiscent of when Matt Gay, who was one of the NFL’s worst kickers during his time in Tampa Bay, returned to Raymond James Stadium as a member of the Los Angeles Rams and drilled a game-winning field goal to knock the Bucs out of the playoffs. 

Bucs fans will be hoping that the version of Folk who briefly suited up in red and pewter returns to haunt the Falcons. A bad kicker costing Atlanta a couple of close games would go a long way toward giving Tampa Bay an edge in what is expected to be a close race for the NFC South title — and the Bucs need every advantage they can get.

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