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Stephen Gostkowski

Patriots To Release Stephen Gostkowski

March 23rd, 2020 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

AFC East Notes: Gronkowski, Darnold, Folk, Dolphins

November 10th, 2019 at 2:10pm CST by Marc Delucchi

It’s no secret that the Patriots have been searching for a weapon to replace the production they received from now retired tight end Rob Gronkowski. Wide receivers Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown both looked like solutions at various points earlier in the season, but neither remain on New England’s roster. However, it appears the team’s owner Robert Kraft still hopes to get Gronkowski back on the field.

When Gronkowski was cleaning out his locker after announcing his retirement in March, Kraft told him the team would remain hopeful that he would return late in the season for another playoff run, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While it has been known that the organization hoped Gronkowski would change his mind, no one had reported Kraft’s involvement.

Rapoport notes in his story that, according to sources, Gronkowski remains content with his decision, but if he wants to return this season he has to decide soon. The deadline for retired players to return during the season and play is November 30. New England will obviously plan ahead without him, but they surely will be hoping for a change of heart.

Here more from around the AFC East:

  • Kicker Nick Folk has meshed into the Patriots locker room well, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Folk already knew the man he replaced, Stephen Gostkowski, and offensive lineman Joe Thuney and Ted Karras. All four had been enrolled in some of the same classes as they worked toward master’s degrees in past offseasons. Folk was signed after Gostkowski suffered a torn labrum in his left hip. Reiss also notes that Folk suffered the same injury in 2009 and could offer Gostkowski valuable insight during his recovery.
  • Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is “taking charge” in the locker room, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. After Darnold’s poor performances against both the Jaguars and Patriots, he has become more assertive in meetings with the coaching staff. Cimini reports that Darnold had previously been very deferential to head coach Adam Gase, but now offers feedback and his own opinion more readily.
  • NFL draft experts and scouts were watching this weeks game between LSU and Alabama closely. The Dolphins sent an especially large contingent, which included two scouts and general manager Chris Grier, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Miami has long been tied to Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa through the #Tank4Tua trend. However, even if Miami does have the top pick in the draft, some experts are beginning to place LSU’s quarterback Joe Burrow above Tagovailoa. It appears Miami’s top brass got an up-close look at both players on Saturday.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Gostkowski, Jets, Bell

November 4th, 2019 at 10:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Mohamed Sanu joined the Patriots in late October, but the veteran receiver believed he was going to land with the organization much earlier. As Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes, the Rutgers product expected to be drafted by New England during the 2012 draft, and he later opted for a lucrative payday from the Falcons when he hit free agency in 2016. Now, during his ninth year in the NFL, he’s finally on the Patriots.

“The draft, free agency, and now it happened – it’s kind of been like a long time coming, like it was almost meant to happen,” Sanu told Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

The 30-year-old also discussed his chances of sticking with New England for his entire career.

“That’d be cool,” Sanu said. “You never know. I just go where everything falls, take it day by day. Whatever happens, happens. I do my part, do my best, be a great teammate and do my part, whenever I can to help this team win…Now that I’m here, it’s time to go to work. I’m very excited.”

Sanu had a standout game for the Patriots during last night’s loss, hauling in 10 receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown.

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

  • Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski underwent successful hip surgery and was back at the team’s facilities last week. Meanwhile, it was revealed that third-round offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste will likely miss the entire season as he recovers from quadriceps surgery. Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia told reporters (including ESPN’s Mike Reiss) that the rookie would likely have a redshirt season: “That’s probably a pretty good way of approaching or saying it. He’s probably not ready to do anything and probably won’t be until next year. That’s the way I see it.”
  • Elandon Roberts has had to fill in at fullback for the Patriots following injuries to James Develin and Jakob Johnson. However, the linebacker isn’t planning on making a permanent position change; Reiss writes that Roberts is still a “full-time participant in defensive and linebacker meetings.” While the 25-year-old indicated that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win, he views the fullback position as an “extra” priority.
  • Jets running back Le’Veon Bell is set to undergo an MRI on his injured knee, coach Adam Gase told reporters (via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter). The coach also acknowledged that he’s uncertain when the veteran suffered the injury, as Bell only reveled the ailment this morning.
  • While Jets cornerback Darryl Roberts has love for “the loyal fans,” he wasn’t too happy with those who criticized the team following their loss to the Dolphins yesterday. You can check out the Instagram rant for yourself thanks to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Bell, Dolphins

October 9th, 2019 at 7:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Add the Patriots to the list of teams who were high on promising Redskins wideout Terry McLaurin. In addition to the Raiders, the Patriots were intrigued by the Ohio State alum, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. The Pats considered McLaurin with the No. 73 pick but instead dealt the selection to the Bears in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round choice and drafted Damien Harris at No. 87. Washington nabbed McLaurin at No. 76, and he’s become the team’s top wideout. Part of the reason the Patriots sought the ex-Buckeye was his potential for special teams work, responsibilities he might not become too familiar with due to his high-value role in Washington.

Here’s the Week 6 latest out of the AFC East, moving from one might-have-been Patriot to one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history:

  • Stephen Gostkowski is under contract through the 2020 season, but with his salary rising from $1.1MM to $3.5MM, Reiss adds that the Patriots will examine that figure and determine if it’s worth it to bring the veteran back. The team also stands to look at other options in the draft. The Pats have not drafted a kicker since taking Gostkowski in the 2006 fourth round. New England made a change at punter this year, moving from longtime incumbent Ryan Allen to fifth-round rookie Jake Bailey. Gostkowski will be recovering from hip surgery but would surely generate interest elsewhere if the Patriots jettison him.
  • Le’Veon Bell‘s 2018 absence stemmed largely from fear the Steelers would continue to overwork him and thus diminish his value on the 2019 market. Bell is on pace for 299 carries, which would be his second-highest single-season total. However, now that he’s secured $28MM in guarantees, the Jets starter is not worried about workload issues, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Bell is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry on a shaky Jets offense.
  • Do not look for the 0-4 Dolphins to cut Josh Rosen‘s audition short. Brian Flores said (via the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, on Twitter) his quarterback situation is “settled” for the rest of 2019, with Rosen set to keep the job that once belonged to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Rosen played well in the first half against the Chargers, and even though the Dolphins have been outscored 81-0 in four second halves this season, the 2018 No. 10 overall pick does not have to worry about looking over his shoulder.
  • It does not sound like one of Rosen’s former Cardinals teammates, Robert Nkemdiche, is ready to return from the Dolphins’ PUP list. But Miami DC Patrick Graham expects the defensive tackle to be back on the field by early November, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Nkemdiche’s 2018 season ended because of an ACL tear.
  • Look for running back Mark Walton and tackle Isaiah Prince to see more time for the rebuilding Dolphins soon, with Jackson noting Miami’s staff wants to integrate Walton into its Kenyan Drake–Kalen Ballage rotation and was impressed by some of Prince’s Week 4 start against the Chargers. While Jesse Davis is back at practice this week after missing the Bolts game, pointing to his return at left tackle, the Dolphins figure to get Prince — a sixth-round rookie — plenty of reps this season on the right side as they continue in evaluation mode.

Patriots Place Stephen Gostkowski on IR

October 2nd, 2019 at 2:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots’ kicker workout from earlier today now makes a lot more sense. New England is placing longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski on injured reserve, a source told Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Furthermore – a mid-season return has already been ruled out, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Gostkowski’s left hip injury will require season-ending surgery, but he is expected to be ready to go for next season. 

Gostkowski has been the Patriots’ kicker since 2006, and nobody else has attempted a kick for the Pats since he missed some time back in 2010. Something clearly wasn’t right with him, as he’s already missed four extra points and a field goal so far this season. New England is undefeated, but obviously Bill Belichick isn’t going to get complacent with a weakness. It’s unclear exactly what injury he’s dealing with, and it’s possible the Patriots are just using IR to let one of their most respected veterans save face.

That being said Gostkowski is still only 35, so he shouldn’t be declining too much just yet. The Patriots have always had a very stable kicking situation, as Gostkowski took over as Adam Vinatieri, who had handled New England’s kicking game for the previous ten seasons. Gostkowski just signed a new two-year deal with the team back in April. If this is the end of the road for him with the Patriots, he’ll leave town as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. We’ll likely receive word of a kicker signing shortly.

Patriots To Work Out Kickers

October 2nd, 2019 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots might be eyeing potential replacements for Stephen Gostkowski. On Wednesday, the Patriots will audition kickers, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The names of the kickers in the tryout are not yet known.

The Patriots are rolling, but the usually stellar Gostkowski is not. In the last three weeks, he’s botched four extra points and a field goal, which is troubling even though the Pats remain undefeated.

Like many teams, the Patriots routinely hold mass tryouts to update their emergency lists in the event of injuries. However, this kicker cattle call does not feel like a pure coincidence, given the 35-year-old’s recent struggles.

Gostkowski made 84.4% of his kicks last season and owns a career 87.4% accuracy rate across 14 seasons. He also has a tremendous jewelry collection thanks to his time with the Patriots, but Bill Belichick isn’t one for sticking with players for purely sentimental reasons.

Contract Details: Gostkowski, Chung, Jets

April 13th, 2019 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

A look at the details on recent deals from around the NFL:

  • Stephen Gostkowski, K (Patriots): Two years, $8.5MM (original story). $4.25MM each year, with cap numbers of $3.05MM (2019) and $5.45MM (2020). Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
  • Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE (Patriots): One year. Worth $895K, only guarantee via $50K signing bonus. Veteran minimum salary of $805K with $40K in per-game roster bonuses. Cap number of $707K. Twitter link via Volin.
  • Patrick Chung, S (Patriots): One-year extension. New “three-year” contract worth $12.9MM, with $6MM in new money. $4MM signing bonus. New 2019 cap number increases to $4.48MM. Twitter link via Albert Breer of TheMMQB and ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
  • Ty Montgomery, WR/RB (Jets): One year. Minimum deal with $90K signing bonus/roster bonus. Twitter link via Manish Mehta of NYDN.

Extra Points: Lawrence, Gostkowski, Bills

April 9th, 2019 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

After inking a five-year, $105MM extension with the Cowboys, DeMarcus Lawrence met with the media today. The pass-rusher discussed his impending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, although he cautioned that he’ll be ready to go for the start of the year.

“I’ll be ready for the start of the season,” Lawrence said (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “I’m not worried about it. It’s just about getting [the surgery] over with.”

Lawrence is facing a four- to six-month rehabilitation process. The defensive end previously had two back surgeries and a thumb operation, and he’s been playing through his current injury since 2017. However, the ailment hasn’t forced Lawrence to miss any time, and he’s compiled 25 sacks over the past two years. In fact, his impending surgery may have helped to speed up negotiations.

“We were aware of it, and I knew we were getting to a point where we needed to make it happen,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “I think DeMarcus was aware of that, too. I mean, he loves to play the game. Certainly, having that looming out there was probably important for both of us to really push and make the push we did there to get it done.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Albert Breer of The MMQB has plenty of details regarding Lawrence’s negotiations with the Cowboys. Specifically, the defensive end never had any desire to leave Dallas, a fact that ended up working in the organization’s favor. If the two sides hadn’t agreed to a new deal by the July 15th deadline, Lawrence would have reported to the team on the Saturday before Week 1, and he never intended to sit out the entire season. When negotiations weren’t going well, Lawrence’s agent contacted a pair of unidentified AFC teams about trading for the Pro Bowler, although nothing ever materialized.
  • Stephen Gostkowski‘s two-year deal with the Patriots is worth $8.5MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The kicker just finished up a four-year, $17.2MM pact with the organization, so his average annual value remains consistent. The three-time Super Bowl champion is the third-most accurate kicker in league history. Last season, he made 27 of his 32 field goal attempts, good for an 84.4% conversion rate that ranked 20th in the NFL.
  • Quinton Spain‘s one-year deal with the Bills is worth $2.05MM, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter). The offensive guard will receive a $200K signing bonus, a $1.75MM non-guaranteed base salary, and a $100K workout bonus. Spain, who started 48 games over four seasons with the Titans, joined the Bills last week.
  • The Chargers have hired La’Roi Glover as an assistant defensive line coach, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. Glover played 13 seasons in the NFL, earning six Pro Bowl nods. The former defensive tackle also earned a spot on the NFL’s all-decade team for the 2000s. The 44-year-old previously served as a coach with both the Jets and Rams. The organization also announced that Chris Caminiti was hired as a senior coaching assistant.

Patriots To Re-Sign K Stephen Gostkowski

April 9th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots are re-signing long-time kicker Stephen Gostkowski to a two-year contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

The timing of the deal is interesting, as we hadn’t heard any updates on negotiations between the two sides for nearly three weeks. Earlier today, however, a report that the 49ers were interested in Gostkowski surfaced, and perhaps that was the push that New England needed to pull the trigger.

Gostkowski, 35, has served as the Patriots’ place kicker since 2006, and he just finished a four-year, $17.2MM pact that he signed in 2015, but the Pats elected to not use the franchise tag on him and allowed him to hit the free agent market for the first time. After paying Gostkowski an average of $4.3MM per year over the last four seasons, New England was said to be waiting for a “market correction” (in other words, they wanted to pay him less this time around).

Other teams were reportedly interested in his services, but before today, we did not have any specifics in that regard.

Gostkowski is the third-most accurate kicker in league history. Last year, he made 27 of his 32 field goal attempts, good for an 84.4% conversion rate that ranked 20th in the NFL. He missed only a single extra point, and the Patriots ranked 17th in Football Outsiders‘ field goal/extra point metric.

New England selected Gostkowski in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, and he and punter Ryan Allen — who re-signed with the club last month — will work as the Pats’ kicking specialists for the seventh straight year.

49ers Interested In Stephen Gostkowski

April 9th, 2019 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are showing interest in kicker Stephen Gostkowski, according to a source who spoke with Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. It’s a curious development since the club recently placed the franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould. 

Gould is the league’s No. 2 all-time kicker in accuracy, but Gostkowski is not far behind at No. 3. For his career, Gould has sank 87.745% of his tries. Gostkowski, a multiple-time Super Bowl champion, has nailed 87.381% of his attempts.

The Niners tagged Gould with a one-year, $4.971MM tag in March, but he not yet signed the deal. Instead, Gould says he wants to explore unrestricted free agency and potentially reunite with the Bears. For what it’s worth, GM John Lynch recently said that an extension with Gould is still possible.

“That’s not dead, either,” Lynch said. “I think the franchise gives you some flexibility in that the player is a part of you, but we’re still trying to figure it out and (will) probably take another go at trying to figure this out. It takes everyone wanting to do that. We’ll see if that’s a reality or not.”

Gostkowski has played his entire 13-year career with Patriots, but we’ve heard very little chatter about negotiations as of late.

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