How Will Patriots Replace Mike Nugent? Examining Free Agent Kicker Market

For the second time this season, the New England Patriots are in the market for a new kicker.

The Patriots reportedly put an end to the Mike Nugent experiment Tuesday, cutting the 38-year-old journeyman less than a month after signing him.

Nugent appeared in four games for New England as Stephen Gostkowski’s replacement, going 5-for-8 of field-goal attempts and 15-for-16 on extra points while never attempting a kick longer than 40 yards. The Patriots radically altered their fourth-down approach following Gostkowski’s season-ending hip injury, passing up seven field-goal tries from between 37 and 53 yards during Nugent’s brief tenure.

The Patriots, who visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, must now work quickly to find a replacement for Nugent. The most obvious candidate is 44-year-old Matt Bryant, whom the Atlanta Falcons released Tuesday.

Bryant was just 9-for-14 on field-goal attempts for Atlanta this season (64.3 percent), though four of those five misses came from 50-plus yards out. He spent the last 11 seasons kicking in a dome and has little experience with wintery weather conditions.

Since joining the Falcons in 2009, Bryant has played in sub-freezing temperatures just four times, going 2-for-5 on field goals in those games (misses from 48, 52 and 53). Still, he might be the most talented option at this point.

If Bryant doesn’t pique the Patriots’ interest, here’s a quick look some of the other currently available free agent kickers (those marked with an asterisk reportedly have worked out for the Patriots this season):

Kai Forbath*
Age: 32
Last team: Jacksonville Jaguars
2018 stats: 4-of-5 field goals (80 percent); 3-of-3 extra points (100 percent)
Career stats: 120-of-149 field goals (85.7 percent); 172-of-183 extra points (94.0 percent)

Giorgio Tavecchio*
Age: 29
Last team: Atlanta Falcons
2018 stats: 5 of 5 field goals (100 percent); 8 of 8 extra points (100 percent)
Career stats: 21 of 26 field goals (80.8 percent); 41 of 42 extra points (97.6 percent)

Blair Walsh*
Age: 29
Last team: Atlanta Falcons
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: 154 of 187 field goals (82.4 percent); 193 of 203 extra points (95.1 percent)

Cairo Santos
Age: 27
Last team: Tennessee Titans
2019 stats: 4 of 9 field goals (44.4 percent); 12 of 12 extra points (100 percent)
Career stats: 108 of 134 field goals (80.6 percent); 161 of 167 extra points (96.4 percent)

Nick Folk*
Age: 34
Last team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: 245 of 305 field goals (80.3 percent); 342 of 346 extra points (98.8 percent)

Nick Rose*
Age: 25
Last team: Los Angeles Chargers
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: 11 of 14 field goals (78.6 percent); 23 of 26 extra points (88.5 percent)

Greg Joseph*
Age: 25
Last team: Cleveland Browns
2018 stats: 17 of 20 field goals (85.0 percent); 25 of 29 extra points (86.2 percent)
Career stats: 17 of 20 field goals (85.0 percent); 25 of 29 extra points (86.2 percent)

Matt McCrane
Age: 25
Last team: Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 stats: 8 of 12 field goals (66.7 percent); 9 of 9 extra points (100 percent)
Career stats: 8 of 12 field goals (66.7 percent); 9 of 9 extra points (100 percent)

Kaare Vedvik
Age: 26
Last team: New York Jets
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: 0 for 1 field goals (zero percent); 0 for 1 extra points (94.0 percent)

Matthew Wright*
Age: 23
Last team: Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: N/A

Chris Blewitt
Age: 24
Last team: Chicago Bears
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: N/A

Elliot Fry*
Age: 24
Last team: Baltimore Ravens
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: N/A

Austin MacGuinness*
Age: 24
Last team: Memphis Express (AAF)
2018 stats: N/A
Career stats: N/A

Sebastian Janikowski (retired)
Age: 41
Last team: Seattle Seahawks
2018 stats: 22 of 27 field goals (81.5 percent); 48 of 51 extra points (94.1 percent)
Career stats: 436 of 542 field goals (80.4 percent); 605 of 614 extra points (98.5 percent)