The New England Patriots signed kicker Josh Gable to their practice squad on Wednesday.
Gable, 29, didn’t play college football and found himself in the NFL after a very unorthodox path. He played professional soccer in Italy and Belgium before returning to the United States in 2016 — where he joined the Indoor Football League, kicking for the Nebraska Danger, Iowa Barnstormers and Tucson Sugar Skulls.
He’s widely known for his trick-shot kicks on social media — one of which was an effortless-looking 80-yard bomb.
The Patriots seemed to have found their guy in Nick Folk, who they re-signed after having an emergency appendectomy. New England has signed four kickers this season to the 53-man roster and Folk has been the most reliable replacement for the injured Stephen Gostkowski. Folk has made 8-of-11 field goals and he’s hit all four of his point after attempts.
New England has kept their eye on Gable for the past three years, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The Patriots now have the chance to work with him at practice and see if his unorthodox and powerful kicking skills can translate to the NFL.
This season has been extremely odd for the Patriots when it comes to kickers, and signing Gable adds on to that trend.
