Patriots Rookie Steals Spotlight With Perfect Showing at Practice

The New England Patriots have a lot of great guys on the roster. Head coach Bill Belichick selected a great group in the 2021 NFL Draft. One Patriots rookie looks great on the practice field.

The NFL world follows the unfolding quarterback competition in New England. But, there’s another battle for a starting spot amongst Patriots kickers.

As you may be guessing, Nick Folk may lose his job sooner than expected. Many thought that his spot is secure. It’s not.

Patriots rookie kicker Quinn Nordin had an incredible performance in training camp. Head coach Belichick really likes the Michigan alum.

On Friday, the Patriots had a lightly-contested scrimmage at Gillette Stadium. Fans were there, too. They watched the 11-on-11 action with no pads on. What about the special teams battles?

Folk was amazing in 2020. He was able to convert 26 of his 28 attempts and many thought he was getting the top job. However, Nordin looks like a serious threat. He added even more pressure on Friday night. I bet Belichick liked his 10-for-10 performance. Nordin has a strong leg and his deep shots would be of great help for the Patriots in 2020. Fans enjoyed a spectacular show and they want to see more from Nordin.

Jeff Howe from The Athletic didn’t get into Nordin’s chance to get the No.1 position. But he did praise Nordin’s accuracy and leg strength.

Quinn Nordin just hit a 57-yard field goal. He is 9-for-9 in this practice. Wow.

— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) August 6, 2021

“About the only thing of actual substance, undrafted rookie Quinn Nordin made all 10 of his kicks in the walkthrough, including a 57- and 55-yarders in the final two possessions. He then drew a smile and a handshake from Bill Belichick at the end of practice. With Folk sidelined, Nordin has an incredible opportunity to seize the kicking spotlight. Folk got $1.225 million guaranteed, which would be a disproportionately large amount for the Patriots to swallow if they prefer Nordin, so he still has a massive hill to climb. But this was a terrific night for the Michigan product.”

Patriots players like the rookie in practice

Matthew Slater has enough experience to recognize a great player when he sees one. Nording has great potential and he is a step closer to getting the job in New England. Alex Kay from Bleacher Report said Nordin had the best chance of making Belichick’s roster.

“He seems to at least be in the running to challenge Nick Folk for the placekicking. Nordin has drawn praise from teammates, including longtime special teams ace Matt Slater, who said the following about the rookie early on in camp (via Chris Mason of MassLive.com): “He’s got a cannon on him. There’s no doubt about that. He’s super explosive, and Quinn, he asks a ton of questions, which I love—young guys who ask questions.” Folk emerged as a steady presence in New England last season, connecting on 26-of-28 field-goal attempts and converted all 13 of his tries inside 40 yards. Nordin finished his career at Michigan having knocked through 42 of 58 field-goal tries and was shaky in his final season with just two of five attempts going through the uprights. Unless Nordin can become more consistent, Folk is likely to retain his role as the Pats’ top kicker for the 2021 campaign.”