Patriots Sign Nick Folk After Releasing Mike Nugent
By Jerry Trotta
Pinpointing a weakness in this 2019 New England Patriots team has been virtually impossible through eight weeks, as Bill Belichick's side sits undefeated atop the AFC.
If there is one flaw that most football pundits can agree upon, however, it's the Pats' kicking woes. The team parted ways with Mike Nugent on Tuesday after the veteran went a pedestrian 5-for-8 on field goal attempts in four games since replacing franchise darling Stephen Gostowski, who is out for the year with a hip injury.
Desperate for a replacement, New England has signed former Pro Bowler Nick Folk, who most recently played in the Alliance of American Football, per insider Ian Rapoport.
The #Patriots are signing free agent K Nick Folk, source said. Most recently, he held the AAF record for longest field goal at 55 yards. He’s also played for the #Bucs, #Jets and #Cowboys.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 29, 2019
Prior to entering the AAF, Folk was last employed by the NFL back in 2017 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Of course, the Arizona product previously held long tenures with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
For his career, which has spanned 11 seasons, Folk has converted 80.3% of his field goal attempts (245-of-305), including an impressive 59% clip on kicks from 50 or more yards.
Blast from the past: Patriots sign Nick Folk https://t.co/fEHV79pYCI
— Rotoworld Football (@Rotoworld_FB) October 29, 2019
He certainly has the pedigree and experience, but only time will tell if Folk still has the stuff to be able to succeed under the pressure of kicking for the world-beating Pats.