Patriots Reportedly Sign Veteran Kicker To Compete With Chad Ryland

The New England Patriots reportedly are bringing in a veteran kicker to compete for the starting job.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Thursday reported the Patriots have agreed to terms with Joey Slye, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday and is expected to compete with sophomore Chad Ryland.

Reiss’ report was confirmed by the Boston Herald, MassLive and Boston Globe.

The 28-year-old Slye has played for four teams during his five seasons in the league. During his career, Slye has converted 82.3% of his field goal attempts (121-for-147) and 88.5% of his extra points (138-for-156). He is 7-for-11 from 50-plus yards the last two seasons.

Slye was a member of the Washington Commanders the last two seasons after he played for the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Ryland, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, made 64% of his field goals (16-for-25) during a struggle-filled rookie season. He converted just 50% of his attempts (7-for-14) beyond 40 yards.