Patriots will officially have new kicker after losing Slye in free agency

It's official: The New England Patriots kicker will be a new face in 2025.

Veteran Joey Slye is headed to the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, as first reported Monday morning by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. That officially brings his Patriots tenure to an end after just one season.

It was previously reported that the Patriots planned to move forward with John Parker Romo after they couldn't agree on a new deal with Slye. Romo, 27, made his NFL debut in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, posting 91.7% accuracy on field goals (11-for-12) and 87.5% (7-for-8) on extra points.

Considering Romo's relative lack of NFL experience, the Patriots may pair him with someone with more games under his belt to comprise the kicker competition in camp. Notable veteran kickers still available include Michael Badgley, Eddy Piñeiro, and Greg Joseph. If the interest is mutual, they could opt for a quadragenarian like Nick Folk or Matt Prater.

The Patriots have also met with at least two kicker prospects ahead of the NFL Draft: Pittsburgh’s Ben Sauls, and Miami's Andy Borregales. Click here for a complete list of the Pats' pre-draft meetings.

There would be considerable risk associated with the Patriots kicker competition coming down to a second-year player and a rookie. No matter which direction the Pats take at the position, it'll be a new direction, and one of the key roster battles to watch in camp.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.