Report: Patriots Have Found Replacement For Kicker Nick Folk

The New England Patriots were expected to play their Week 13 without a kicker. Well, it looks like the defending champions have found a replacement for Nick Folk.

Folk is unlikely to play this week following the emergency appendectomy. New England will probably sign veteran free agent Kai Forbath to replace Folk ahead of their primetime game with the Houston Texans. The information was first confirmed by ESPN’s Field Yates. New England will have to remove one player from the 53-man roster to make a spot for the veteran.

Forbath, who worked out with the Patriots earlier this season, has kicked for several teams, including the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars since entering the NFL in 2011. The 32-year-old veteran played in just two games for the Jags last season and has not been added to an NFL roster since February.

Is Forbath a good replacement for Folk?

Stephen Gostkowski began the regular season as kicker before undergoing hip surgery. He was placed on injured reserve after Week 4. New England inked a deal with veteran journeyman Mike Nugent to replace Gostkowski but released him after he missed three field goals and one extra point in four contests.

Folk played in the last three games for New England, going 7-for-9 on field-goal attempts and 3-for-3 on extra points.

The Houston Texans are next on the list, and New England may lose some of its players for Sunday’s game. The flu bug has arrived in their facility, and some of the players have already missed the practice. Head coach Bill Belichick advised players to stay germ-free and wash their hands more often. Of course, pretty much every player knows this. They have to stay healthy, because losing a player at this point of the regular season is the last scenario in Belichick’s book.

Although the Texans are tough, they aren’t as tough as the Cowboys. Tom Brady and his team defeated Dallas, and they will definitely defeat the Texans. The team has a few more games, and hopefully, they will win the upcoming contests. It’s a big season for the GOAT. Is this his final season as a quarterback?