The Patriots' acquisition of veteran kicker Shayne Graham was expected to be nothing more than a stopgap as Stephen Gostkowski took a week or two to recover from a thigh injury. As it turns out, the injury is more serious than originally believed, as the Patriots placed the kicker on injured reserve Wednesday morning.
ESPN.com's Adam Schefter reported that Gostkowski tore his quadriceps and may need surgery.
"Anytime a team loses a player, it's hard for the team to go through," Graham said Wednesday. "No one wants to see a player go down with injury, no matter how long the time is, especially a player the caliber of Stephen. He's a great player, has done such a good job for this team."
The move will end the season for the kicker, who's hit 10 of 13 field goals this season. Two of those misses came in Week 1 (from 47 and 56 yards), while the other came in Week 2 (37 yards).
He was also tied for third in the NFL with 15 touchbacks.
Gostkowski signed a four-year extension last summer, making him a Patriot through 2014. He left Sunday's game against Cleveland with a right thigh injury and did not return.
Graham, 32, was pretty straightforward regarding his plan as a Patriot.
"My goal is to come in here, perform at my best, and perform well for the team and help us win games, help the team make all the goals that they set for themselves," he said.
