The New England Patriots are expected to retain kicker Stephen Gostkowski, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. But by letting him hit free agency, they are opening the door to competition on the market. Here’s what Graziano wrote about the topic:
“Not sure if you noticed, but the Patriots didn’t franchise anyone, including kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Many expect them to re-sign him, but would another team (Bears?) swoop in and give Gostkowski a top-of-the-market deal based on his career accomplishments? And if so, do we have to wonder what the Patriots know? They’ve had only two different kickers since 1996. If they’re making a change at the position, there must be a good reason.”
Gostkowski hit 27 of 32 attempts (84.4 percent) on field goals during the 2018 season. He was 49 of 50 on extra points. During New England’s postseason run, he hit every extra point on 10 attempts and was 5 of 6 on field goals, with one miss from 46 yards in Super Bowl LIII.
The 35-year-old kicker has missed kicks in a few big games, including an 26-yard field goal in Super Bowl LII, an extra point in Super Bowl LI and an extra point in the AFC championship following the 2015 season. But he has also won three Super Bowls with the team, and is significantly more reliable than most of the kickers on the market.
