The Atlanta Falcons have added kicker Ben Sauls and wide receiver Deven Thompkins to their practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday.
Ben Sauls joins the Falcons after spending the offseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted rookie. He participated in all three preseason games for Pittsburgh, converting five out of six field-goal attempts, including successful kicks from 28, 36, 28, 49, and 50 yards. His only miss was a 43-yard attempt. Sauls also made all six of his point-after tries during the preseason.
Sauls played college football at the University of Pittsburgh from 2020 to 2024 but handled place-kicking duties primarily between 2022 and 2024. Over that period, he converted 52 of his 64 field-goal attempts for an accuracy rate of over 81 percent and made nearly all extra points attempted throughout his college career.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris commented on Monday about bringing in competition for recently signed kicker Parker Romo following Romo’s missed field goals in Week 3 against Carolina. “The team will bring in competition for new kicker Parker Romo,” said Morris. Romo was perfect on extra points in last week’s win over Minnesota after being promoted to the active roster when veteran Younghoe Koo was released.
Deven Thompkins arrives in Atlanta with three years of NFL experience, having played previously with NFC South rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. In his most productive season with Tampa Bay in 2023, Thompkins recorded seventeen receptions for eighty-three yards and a touchdown while adding fifty-six rushing yards on eight carries. His standout performance came against New Orleans Saints where he caught four passes for forty-five yards and scored a touchdown on a five-yard pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Last season with Carolina, Thompkins appeared in seven games and registered four catches for twenty yards along with two carries.
The Falcons currently hold a record of one win and two losses this season. They are set to play the Washington Commanders (2-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
