The New England Patriots could be the next NFL franchise to make a change at the kicker position as Andres Borregales continued to struggle on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
After missing one of his three field goal attempts in his NFL debut, the sixth-round pick from this past April's draft was off on his first two extra-point attempts in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.
Cutting bait on a kicker whom you spent a draft pick on after just two games would be a bit outside of the norm if that were the route the Patriots elected to go. However, it is looking more likely that bringing in a veteran to compete with the rookie is their best course of action after two weeks of inconsistent kicking.
Pats Must Pursue Veteran Kicker After Week 2 Struggles From Borregales
Unfortunately, even if Mike Vrabel and Co. wanted to do so, bringing back Parker Romo after having him on the roster in training camp is not a possibility, as he is the starting kicker for the Atlanta Falcons this weekend.
Leaving points on the board can quickly come back to bite you in an NFL game, and Borregales can't continue to operate in his role unchallenged if he's going to do just that. This would likely mean any potential options to push, if not replace, Borregales would be a veteran still looking for a job. There are quality options out there if that is the route New England wants to take.
Proven kickers like Dustin Hopkins, Michael Badgley, Austin Seibert, and Greg Joseph are among the current free-agent kickers on the market.
Hopkins particularly stands out with his big leg and career mark of 93.6% on PATs. His 2024 campaign (66.7% on FGs, 85.0% on PATs) went off the rails and led to his release this offseason by the Cleveland Browns, but we've seen a change of scenery do plenty of wonders for other kickers.
Meanwhile, Seibert put together a 2024 that should lead to another chance sooner than later. He was 27-of-30 on field goals and only missed two extra points across nine appearances for the Washington Commanders.
Kickers | Career FG% | Career 50+ FG% | XP% |
|---|---|---|---|
Dustin Hopkins | 241/278 (84%) | 27/46 (58.6%) | 262/280 (93.6%) |
Michael Badgley | 98/119 (82.4%) | 5/13 (38.4%) | 168/175 (96%) |
Austin Seibert | 72/86 (83.7%) | 4/11 (36.3%) | 78/86 (90.7%) |
Greg Joseph | 116/141 (82.3%) | 17/30 (56.6%) | 157/173 (90.8%) |
Obviously, signing any of these veterans would be an admission that the Patriots' front office missed big on their selection of Borregales. As much as that might bruise the egos of the decision makers in New England, it is something that must be addressed if these inconsistencies in the kicking game continue.
The Patriots need to have a reliable kicker on the sidelines with a young quarterback in Drake Maye leading the charge on offense. Winning will only help build his confidence as a franchise quarterback. If he's doing his job by getting New England into the end zone, he should have confidence in the specialist taking the field behind him to add that seventh point to the board.