The New York Giants cut Chandler Catanzaro today, as reported by Adam Schefter. Catanzaro, 29, last kicked in a game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, where he went five for five on field-goal attempts. He had started the season off with the Carolina Panthers, going 11 for 15 in nine games before being released. The Giants have signed Graham Gano to replace him.
Giants released veteran kicker Chandler Catanzaro, per source. Their kicking job belongs to former Panther Graham Gano, who reunites with former Carolina GM Dave Gettleman.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2020
New York Giants Replace Chandler Catanzaro With Graham Gano
Chandler Catanzaro spent the 2019 off-season with the New York Jets, but ultimately retired after early preseason struggles against the Giants. Joe Judge must’ve seen enough from Chandler to convince him to come out of retirement to kick for Big Blue.
Unsurprisingly, this was a short-lived move as Chandler Catanzaro never made it to padded practices in training camp. The reaction from the fanbase was that Catanzaro didn’t exactly inspire confidence or have an impressive resume.
The Giants went out and signed the steady, veteran Graham Gano to be responsible for the team’s kicking duties. Giants fans will be familiar with Gano after his painful 63-yard game-winning field goal against the Giants in 2018 while he was playing for the Panthers.
The kicking unit has been a concern since last year, and the situation worsened when incumbent kicker Aldrick Rosas was released earlier this off-season after an ugly arrest. The team seemed unimpressed by Catanzaro’s work so general manager Dave Gettleman went out and signed his old kicker from his Carolina days.
The Giants need consistent play from their kicker this year. Whether it’s field goals, extra points, or kickoffs, the Giants can’t afford to blow scoring opportunities this year after hitting a measly 12 field goals last season. The team is counting on and expecting Graham Gano to get the job done, and do a good, consistent job doing it as he’s proven capable of throughout his career.
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