Patriots reportedly making progress with K Stephen Gostkowski on new contract
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 03: Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots celebrates his teams 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots still need to address the kicker position. With NFL free agency past the initial burst, Stephen Gostkowski remains on the open market. But it appears that No. 3 will end up staying in Foxborough for at least one more season.
According to Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston, the Patriots and Gostkowski “have made progress” toward a “new deal” for the veteran kicker. Gostkowski, 35, hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career after booting footballs in New England every season since 2006.
Curran acknowledges that “outside interest” materialized for Gostkowski and says the kicker isn’t planning on retiring. Gostkowki last approached free agency in 2015, but the Patriots never let him go to market. Instead they applied the franchise tag then later signed him to an extension.
They avoided tagging Gostkowski this time, but it looks like it won’t come back to hurt them by losing their kicker with no backup plan in sight. Still, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of term Gostkowski gets on his next deal. It’s time to wonder when the Pats will look toward the future at kicker.
For now, Gostkowski seems close to kicking once again for the Patriots in 2019, if not beyond.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
