Patriots try out kickers amid Stephen Gostkowski’s struggles (Updated)
Gostkowski is off to the worst start of his career, missing four extra points and a field goal in the first four games of the season.
Aug 8, 2019; Detroit, MI: New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicks an extra point during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. (Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
Raj Mehta-USA TODAYBy Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is off to the worst start of his career, missing four extra points and a field goal in the first four games of the season.
Now the Patriots are working out free agent kickers.
Mike Reiss of ESPN was the first to report the news. Reiss pointed out that the Patriots often bring players in for tryouts at this time of year to keep their emergency lists updated in the event of injuries at any position, but Gostkowski's struggles so far this season certainly can't be overlooked. (Update: The Patriots are reportedly placing Gostkowski on injured reserve.)
The 35-year-old Gostkowski signed a two-year contract worth up to $8.5 million with the Patriots in April. Gostkowski's $4.25 million average annual value ties him with Carolina's Graham Gano for the third-highest among kickers in the league, behind San Francisco's Robbie Gould ($4.75 million) and Baltimore's Justin Tucker ($5 million).
It is not yet clear how many kickers the Patriots are working out on Wednesday.
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