Belichick Explains Why Patriots Signed, Released Practice Squad Kicker

The New England Patriots are pretty serious about their season. Winning a Super Bowl is a top priority each season, and head coach Bill Belichick is doing whatever is in his power to find the right winning formula. The team signed trick-shot kicker Josh Gable to the practice squad earlier this week. Coach Belichick talked about this contract Friday morning.

New England didn’t even think of losing Nick Folk, and they wanted to have a closer look at someone who may contribute to a road game. The Patriots had enough room on the practice squad and decided to try a young kicker. That’s what coach Belichick said. The team will play Nick Folk, and the kicker will be a problem for the next season. That’s not something they worry about at this point in the season.

“We had a spot available on the practice squad, and it gave us an opportunity to look at a younger kicker,” Belichick said. “But we’re going with Nick, so that’s not really — we’ll worry about that next year. But rather than just come in and do a workout, we were actually able to (have him) kick with the team and put him on the practice squad for a couple days.

“So, put that in the bank, and maybe it comes up later on at some point in time down the road. Maybe it doesn’t. I’m not sure. We’ll see how it goes.”

Gable is a 29-year-old former professional soccer player who didn’t play college football. He had two sessions with the Patriots, and the team released him Friday as confirmed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

We do believe that the Patriots will sign Gable to a contract in the offseason. How will they handle the kicker position in 2020?

Veteran Stephen Gostkowski has one year left on his contract with the Patriots. He will turn 36 in January and had season-ending hip surgery. This injury was rather serious, and it has forced the Patriots to try out several players, including Mike Nugent, Folk, and Kai Forbath.

Folk is the kicker for the season

Folk missed one game due to an emergency appendectomy, and he has been the most consistent of the group. He went 8-for-11 on field-goal attempts and 4-for-4 on extra points in four games with the Patriots. One of Folk’s three misses were blocked.

New England is playing the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. It’s an easy bite for the Patriots. The tough stretch of the season is over, and we believe that the Patriots will win the last three games of their season. Tom Brady and his team are off to a win, and they want to win the Super Bowl again. Who doesn’t? But New England has the best chance to do that.


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