New report hints at Patriots’ plan at kicker for 2025 season
It’s not often an NFL team’s kicker situation is top of mind. Although it is not necessarily headline number one of the New England Patriots’ off-season, it’s slowly developing into an interesting storyline.
Joey Slye kicked for the Patriots in 2024, but as an unrestricted free agent, his future with the team could be coming to an end. The team currently has John Parker Romo as the only kicker in the organization under contract, and reports suggest he is the front-runner for the starting job.
Mike Reiss of ESPN wrote on Sunday, that there is “no movement toward a deal” with Slye, so “the Patriots currently plan to move forward with John Parker Romo.”
Since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Romo has bounced around NFL practice squads and spring leagues. He made his NFL debut as a 27-year-old with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. With the Vikings he played in four games, going 11-of-12 on field goal tries and 7-of-8 on extra point attempts. After those four games he was released and subsequently signed to the New England practice squad.
“Parker Romo who’s kicked in the league, right now is their only kicker. The plan would be to bring another kicker in,” Reiss added on the 98.5 The Sports Hub‘s ‘Patriots Hub Podcast’ on Tuesday. “I think we’ll see a kicker competition, with Parker Romo probably being the leading candidate based on his history of having regular season kicks last year with the Vikings.”
The Patriots may bring someone in to compete with Romo, but for now he remains the only kicker on the Patriots’ roster – and it could stay that way for a bit if Slye doesn’t get a new deal.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
