The longest-tenured kicker in Patriots history will need to head elsewhere to continue his career. The Pats are releasing Stephen Gostkowski, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
Gostkowski signed a two-year deal to stay with the Patriots in 2019 but is coming off an injury-marred season. He has been New England’s kicker since 2006, taking over after the Pats let Adam Vinatieri walk in free agency. A Gostkowski release will save the Pats nearly $3.5MM. They entered Monday with less than $5MM in cap space.
Gostkowski spent a few days as the Patriots’ longest-tenured player, rising to that position after Tom Brady defected to the Buccaneers. That distinction now belongs to 12th-year special-teamer Matthew Slater. Gostkowski’s 204 regular-season games played ranks fourth in Patriots history. When postseason contests are included, his games-played total ranks only behind Brady’s.
New England used four kickers last season, with Kai Forbath, Nick Folk and Mike Nugent taking turns replacing the injured Gostkowski. While Folk finished the season as the Pats’ kicker, he is currently a free agent. Gostkowski, 36, is coming off hip surgery. This marks another big change for the Pats, who last week saw the most decorated player in franchise history opt to leave.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Gostkowski resides as one of this era’s best kickers. He landed on the 2008 and 2015 All-Pro first teams as well. The former fourth-round pick’s 87.4% career field goal success rate ranks fifth in NFL history, and his 39 career playoff field goals rank behind only Vinatieri’s 56 in playoff history.
Dallas should sign him.
This gives me pause:
“Gostkowski, 36, is coming off hip surgery”.
Tank for Trevor begins
Because they’re cutting an injured kicker?
because their team may be the worst in the NFL on paper. IF they retool for a year or 2 they could potentially go on another stint of long sustained success. At some point you need to restock reload up.
Lol Stephon Gilmore Devin McCourty Dont’a Hightower and Julian Edelman would like a word with you
Do they drug test where you work?
Giants
The Jets are the team that needs a kicker
tough being a kicker. one injury and you get booted.
Ha
Wow shocked!!
He probably needs more time to recover from surgery. Probably a mid-season grab if a team has a need.
Maybe he’s planning to retire or the Patriots
re-sign him if and when he’s fully healthy. Seems like he has more recovering to do.
Not too surprised Bill hasn’t trusted him for a bit and I thought folk did alright last year. They have 142 draft picks so they will most likely draft one somewhere
He didn’t trust a guy who performed so well for so long and gets injured…. but he will parade 4 different retreads out there?
Correct. He was really good for really long. But the last few years I haven’t felt good about his kicks and I don’t think Bill has either. While he doesn’t have gostkowskis range I felt pretty good when folk went out there last year
What he’s done in the past has nothing to do with his abilities today. That’s what your favorite team doesn’t understand, and that’s why they’re not the Patriots.
Who cares
Football fans
dynamite drop in Monty
You?
Cost too much money. Now Bill can take the cap savings and sign three more special teams cover guys.
Shouldn’t be a surprise … virtually every kicker at the top of the all time points list was let go or let walk by his mid-30s (Vinatieri, M. Andersen, G. Anderson, etc.). Happened to Stenerud and Lowery before. The only exception is Jason Hanson (who was drilling 50 yard field goals over age 40). He may still be “pretty good,” but not a peak performer. Cap room is too valuable.
That’s not true. Eddie Murray, Gary Anderson , John Carney, Adam V, matt Bryant, Phil Dawson, matt stover. Have all kicked into their 40s
I could see him land in either TB, Detroit, or Miami
Da bears
We already have “Eddie money”!
End of an era in New England
That’s what you’re hoping for. Good luck with that. Winning organizations are successful for multiple reasons. That won’t change in NE as long as Belichick and the Kraft family are running the show.