Patriots Reportedly Keep Kicker On Standby Amid Chad Ryland’s Struggles

Chad Ryland was the only kicker at Patriots practice on Wednesday. But that could change as Week 13 progresses.

Matt McCrane, one of five free agent kickers to work out for New England on Tuesday, remained in the area on “standby,” according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Reiss reported the Patriots could hold another kicker workout on Wednesday, potentially including Matthew Wright, who was cut from the Atlanta Falcons practice squad on Tuesday.

Ryland’s 66.7% field-goal success rate this season ranks second-to-last among qualified NFL kickers. The fourth-round rookie had costly misses in each of the last two games, including a 35-yarder Sunday against the New York Giants that would have forced overtime.

“Chad is a very talented player,” head coach Bill Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “But this is two weeks in a row that we basically missed extra points. It’s not good enough.”

McCrane appeared in games for the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders in 2018 and bounced around to multiple practice squads in 2020 and 2021. The 29-year-old Kansas State product last kicked for the DC Defenders in the XFL this past spring.

Wright hasn’t seen game action this season but appeared in 23 games for the Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs from 2020 to 2022, making 87.5% of his field goals.

The Patriots are preparing to host the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday at Gillette Stadium.