The Miami Dolphins and New York Giants used their joint training session as an important part of their preparations for the upcoming NFL season. The practice gave players an opportunity to compete against another team while continuing to work through key areas before the regular season.
For Riley Patterson, the session also came at an important point in his Dolphins career. The kicker has regained the team’s starting job after Miami moved on from Zane Gonzalez following an injury. Patterson is now preparing to build on a highly accurate 2025 season while also competing for a role on a team seeking consistency at the position.
Riley Patterson Reveals Baby Girl With Football Kick
Riley Patterson turned the Giants’ joint practice into a family celebration, using his kicking skills to reveal that he and his wife, Claire, are expecting a baby girl.
Riley Patterson kicked a football while Claire held it in place. The kick produced a pink cloud of smoke, revealing that the couple’s second child will be a girl.
Patterson and Claire celebrated the moment with a hug before also embracing their son, who appeared confused by what was happening.
The family moment quickly drew congratulatory messages, including reactions from members of Patterson’s Dolphins family.
The announcement adds a personal moment to a significant stretch of Patterson’s career.
Miami recently confirmed that Patterson would be its kicker going forward after Gonzalez suffered a significant undisclosed injury during training camp and was released with an injury settlement.
The Dolphins had signed Gonzalez during free agency before re-signing Patterson two days later. With Gonzalez no longer available, Patterson is again in a position to handle the team’s kicking duties.
Riley Patterson Enters New Season as Dolphins’ Kicker
Riley Patterson enters the season with strong numbers from his previous campaign. He converted 27 of 29 field-goal attempts last season for a 93.1% success rate. He also made 34 of 35 extra-point attempts and finished with 115 points.
His 93.1% field-goal percentage ranked among the NFL’s best last season. Of the 80 kickers who attempted field goals, only three had a higher conversion rate.
Riley Patterson has also been highly accurate throughout his career. His career field-goal percentage stands at 87.4%, a mark that ranks among the best in NFL history.
The main area where Miami had considered Gonzalez an upgrade was from long range.
Gonzalez has made 18 of 28 career attempts from 50 or more yards, including seven of nine last season. Patterson is 7 of 13 from that distance in his career, although he went 3 of 4 last season.
Patterson’s longest field goal is 54 yards, which he set last season. Gonzalez’s career long is 57 yards.
With the kicking job back in his hands, Patterson will now look to show that last season’s accuracy can continue while developing his ability from greater distances.
At the same time, his Giants joint practice provided an opportunity to celebrate an important moment away from football with Claire and their growing family.
The Miami Dolphins will next face the New York Giants on Saturday, continuing their preseason preparations.
Dolphins Kicker Riley Patterson Announces Personal News at Giants Joint Practice