During NFL training camps, we get an early look at position battles and how they go. For the New England Patriots, the battle for starting kicker has been one-sided in favor of rookie Andy Borregales. He has had a strong camp and seemingly looks like the favorite to land the starting job in September.
The Patriots’ kicking situation has seen a lot of turnover these past couple of years. In the 2023 NFL draft, the Patriots drafted Chad Ryland in the fourth round, expecting him to be the team’s kicker of the future. This was further proven when the team moved on from 4-year starter Nick Folk in favor of Ryland. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Ryland had a rough rookie season, making only 64% of his field goals, below the league average.
Ryland wouldn’t last long as he would be waived the following off-season after losing the kicking competition to veteran Joey Slye. During the season, Slye set the Patriots’ record for longest field goal with a 63-yarder. While Slye improved from Ryland’s play, making nearly 79% of his field goals, it was still below the league average that year. Slye signed with the Tennessee Titans during free agency.
Andy Borregales Emerging as Favorite to Be Patriots Kicker in 2025
With Sly moving on, the Patriots once again looked at the draft for an answer to the kicking problem, where they found Andy Borregales in the sixth round. The Miami kicker was coming off a great career, with him making 86% of his field goals, and a senior season that saw him miss only one field goal all year, going 18-19, including a 56-yarder. The 22-year-old would have to earn the role, though, competing against veteran kicker John Parker Romo.
During practice this week, Borregales was a standout, going 4-4 on field goals, while Parker Romo went 2-4. Mark Daniels over at Masslive has Borregales as “the massive favorite to be the Patriots placekicker this season”. While we still have a long way to go, with his strong performance so far, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Borregales be the starting kicker for the Patriots’ week one matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
