Since Stephen Gostkowski went down with an injury in 2019, the Patriots have been unable to find a long-term solution at kicker. Nick Folk was their short-term answer and solid in his tenure, but they needed a young kicker with the potential of becoming the future kicker for years to come.
They thought they found their guy in 2023, drafting Chad Ryland in the fourth round, but he was a disappointment in his lone season with New England. Last year, they had Joey Slye, who had a powerful leg but struggled with consistency. Slye’s 78.8% field goal percentage and 96.2% extra point percentage ranked 25th and 18th amongst all teams.
After Slye’s departure to the Tennessee Titans, the Patriots are currently amidst another kicking competition between veteran John Parker Romo and rookie Andres Borregales. In just a few practices, the winner of the battle is clear, and the Patriots have already found their future kicker.
John Parker Romo Clearly On His Way Out From New England
Media availability is limited in OTAs, but when available, Borregales seems to be winning the kicking competition against Romo, especially after Monday’s practice. During the practice, both kickers had four field goal attempts from 33 to 49 yards. Borregales made all four while Romo went 2/4.
Although it's still early, Monday’s performance puts Romo at a disadvantage. Borregales already had the edge on Romo before the competition, as the Patriots drafted him in this year’s draft while Romo was signed to a reserve/future contract.
In college, Borregales made 86% of his field goals and 99.5% of his extra points. Borregales was selected to the first-team All-ACC twice and ended his career as the leading scorer in Miami history with 405 points.
Meanwhile, Romo, 27, initially struggled to get on an NFL field before an opportunity arose with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. When Will Reichard went down, Romo held down the kicking duties, making 11/12 field goals and 7/8 extra points in four games before being released.
Borregales' age, 22, and performance thus far put him in a strong position to win the kicking job, plummeting Romo’s chances of making it to training camp.