Two Things Can Be True About Chad Ryland, Patriots’ Kicker Plan

It’s low on the laundry list of complaints, but the struggles of Chad Ryland have become a talking point among Patriots fans.

The rookie kicker went 4-for-8 over his first five NFL games, including 0-for-1 in New England’s home shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Nick Folk is 13-for-13 with the Tennessee Titans, who acquired him via late-August trade with the Patriots. Most surprisingly, Folk is 3-for-3 from 50-plus yards after going 11-for-16 in the same situations over his last three seasons with the Patriots.

As a result, many fans are lamenting the decision to move on from Folk, who was dependable during his time in New England. And many are worried Ryland might not be any good, which is a justifiable fear when you’re talking about 99% of kickers.

But things should be put into proper perspective, because two things can be true about Ryland, neither of which is an indictment of the 23-year-old.

It’s way too early to write him off
It’s easy to look at Ryland’s field goal percentage and dismiss him as another trainwreck kicker. However, that would ignore the fact that all but one of his field goal attempts have come from 48-plus yards, including three from 50-plus.

Furthermore, two of those misses — one from 57 and one from 48 — came after bad snaps and in some of the worst kicking weather you could ask for (Matthew Slater’s words, not ours). Ryland’s 48-yard miss against the Saints also came on a blustery day at Gillette Stadium.

It would be one thing if Ryland were shanking extra points and layup field goal attempts. But the reality is the Maryland product has received few gimmies, and he’s converted on all the ones he actually has been given.

Yes, Ryland was drafted and given the Patriots’ kicker job due to his strong leg and he needs to start making some of his longer attempts. But he deserves much more patience.

That doesn’t mean Bill Belichick should’ve drafted him when he did
The Patriots traded up in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Ryland with the 112th overall pick. He was the second kicker taken, with Jake Moody going first to the San Francisco 49ers in Round 3.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a kicker that early, as long as they’re good. And Ryland might turn out to be really good. But was using a fourth-round pick on a kicker really what the Patriots needed to do, given all the other holes on their roster?

That would be a “no.” That’s the kind of luxury pick you make when you’re loaded everywhere else like the Niners are, or like New England was in 2006 when it drafted Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth round.

The Patriots could’ve found a quality kicker later in the draft — or after it. Just look at rookies Anders Carlson (Round 6 to the Green Bay Packers), who’s 7-for-7, and Blake Grupe (undrafted to the Saints), who’s 11-for-12. Both are perfect on extra points.

You also can find diamonds in the rough. This season’s shining example is 28-year-old Dallas Cowboys rookie Brandon Aubrey, who’s 14-for-14 and 10-for-11 on extra points. He played soccer in college and professionally in the MLS before flaming out and pursuing software engineering. One day, Aubrey’s wife told him he should try kicking footballs, and he accepted the challenge. After spending the last two years in the USFL, Aubrey now is playing at a Pro Bowl level in the NFL. He doesn’t even have a photo on his ESPN fantasy football profile.

So, yeah, Belichick didn’t need to take Ryland in the fourth round. It was a reach.

Again, the Patriots have bigger problems than what their rookie kicker is doing. Their head coach and franchise quarterback might be competing for their jobs this Sunday.

But when you’re a talent-deprived team that needs everything to go right and to win on the margins, your kicker is going to be under the microscope, too.

To that end, Ryland’s early career struggles, if you can call them that, are easily explained away. But also probably shouldn’t even be here.