The NFL 53-man roster deadline has turned into a trade deadline for kickers. The most recent trade includes Mike Vrabel and his former team, as the Tennessee Titans have acquired Nick Folk from the New England Patriots. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones confirmed the initial report, and NFL Media reports Tennessee is sending New England a 2025 seventh-round pick as compensation.
With this move, it appears rookie fourth-round pick Chad Ryland has won the kicking competition in New England. Both Ryland and Folk did not miss a single kick in the preseason, but Bill Belichick is going with the younger guy.
The Athletic reported Tuesday morning that the Patriots were fielding trade calls regarding their veteran kicker. In a separate report, The Athletic indicated that the Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos were interested in adding at the position.
Folk, who is 38 years old, has been with the Patriots since 2019. In 57 games with New England, he has made 89.3% of his field goal attempts, and 91.3% of his extra points. Folk has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 211 career NFL games, he has converted on 82.9% of his field goal attempts and 96.8% of his extra points.
The Titans were pretty desperate for a kicker. They worked through and released three kickers this preseason, the most recent being veteran Michael Badgley, who missed a 39-yard field goal vs. New England last Friday night.
