Patriots Releasing Nick Folk One Day After Getting His Appendix Removed is Pretty Ruthless

It seems that, when the New England Patriots lost kicker Stephen Gostkowski for the season, they also lost their sense of empathy, apparently.

The defending champs have released kicker Nick Folk just one day after he underwent an appendectomy.

The Pats are signing kicker Kai Forbath, who last played for the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of the 2018 season, making Folk surplus to requirements. Forbath is in his ninth NFL season, though he is probably best remembered for playing parts of four seasons with the Washington Redskins. He's the team's fourth kicker this season; after Gostkowski suffered a season-ending hip injury in October, replacement Mike Nugent was released later that month. Now, Folk is out the door himself.

The kicker's appendetcomy was apparently non-invasive, and he could have potentially returned after missing as little as one game -- not to mention that he was adequate in three games with New England this year. He went seven of nine on field goal tries and three of three on extra point attempts.

You know the Patriots understand they did something wrong when their press release doesn't even mention the appendecetomy.

The Patriots releasing a guy immediately after he had his appendix taken out is pretty rough. But such is the business when you're the winningest team of your generation.