Veteran long snapper Harris among releases
The Atlanta Falcons didn’t post a story about it on their official website or send out a tweet announcing it, but there it was on the NFL’s transaction report for Wednesday. Sept. 1.
The Falcons terminated the contract of long snapper Josh Harris.
Harris had handled the snapping duties on punts and placekicks for Atlanta since making the team as an undrafted rookie in 2012. He’s played in 139 regular-season and seven playoff games.
Harris had no competition in training camp, and the Falcons don’t have another long snapper on their roster, including among the 15 players signed for the practice squad on Wednesday.
Atlanta didn’t cut Harris to create a roster spot for a Wednesday pickup. The Falcons were awarded offensive lineman Colby Gossett on Wednesday after he’d been released by the Cleveland Browns. But Atlanta had an opening because it placed guard Josh Andrews on injured reserve because of a broken hand.
Harris was due to make $1.075 million in the 2021 season, which slotted him at No. 9 on the NFL’s pay chart for long snappers. He was entering the final season of a three-year, $3.135 million contract.
After playing linebacker and snapper at Carrollton High School in Georgia, Harris walked on at Auburn in 2007 and served as the regular long snapper from 2009 through 2011, earning a scholarship in 2010.
On the final play of the BCS national championship game for the 2010 season, Harris snapped for Wes Byrum’s 19-yard field goal, which lifted Auburn to a 22-19 victory over Oregon.
Since joining the Falcons, Harris has missed five games, all in the 2011 season.