Overview
- The Atlanta Falcons announced the signing of Australian punter Matthew Hayball and designated him as the team's exempt international player so he will not occupy a spot on the 90-man offseason roster.
- Hayball's signing creates an open competition at the punter position against Jake Bailey, who joined Atlanta in March on a three-year, $9 million contract.
- Hayball attended a two-day minicamp tryout and was one of six players invited, giving the Falcons a low-cost way to evaluate his skills without a roster commitment.
- Hayball's pro experience includes time with the New Orleans Saints and college play at Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt, but he enters camp as a relatively unproven, low-risk option.
- The choice to use the exempt international designation reflects the Falcons' broader offseason roster review process that will rely on training camp evaluations to finalize special teams and depth as they seek to improve after an 8-9 season.