Falcons Finally Pull the Plug on the Nick Folk Experience

The Atlanta Falcons have officially pulled the plug on the Nick Folk experience.

At 42 years old, Folk is hitting the open market. Marc Raimondi confirmed Tuesday that the team is releasing the veteran kicker, a move first reported by Jordan Schultz.

"Marc Raimondi confirmed the release, originally reported by Jordan Schultz."

When you are operating at a 72.2 percent field goal clip, you are not an NFL kicker. You are a random guy guessing on a multiple-choice test. Folk hit just 13 of his 18 attempts this season, a massive drop-off for a guy who was basically automatic just a couple of years ago.

The final breaking point came during Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid. Folk went 1-for-2 on field goals, leaving points on the board while his team was getting blown out on an international stage.

Earlier this year, Folk apologized for a badly missed 45-yarder by saying he had not hit a kick that poorly in a very long time. It turns out he had a few more of those left in the tank.

From a betting perspective, this throws a wrench into Atlanta's team totals and red-zone prop markets. It is hard to trust a team to cover a spread when their kicking situation is currently a blank space on the whiteboard.

The Falcons now have to scramble to sign a replacement before Sunday. As for Folk, a 19-year career is nothing to scoff at, but the NFL does not hand out pension bonuses for missing 40-yarders.