Patriots trading veteran kicker Nick Folk to Titans
Kicker trades are all the rage this summer.
The NFL saw its third kicker traded in a two-day span on Tuesday when the Patriots sent Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The Patriots will receive the Titans’ 2025 seventh-round pick in return, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero added.
Folk, 38, has been one the Patriots’ most consistent players over the past four seasons, despite the team’s relative struggles in that span. Known for his accuracy, Folk has made 108 of his 121 field-goal attempts since 2019, with no misses shorter than 40 yards.
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The Titans have been cycling through kickers the entire preseason. They cut two kickers, Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff, this preseason before signing Michael Badgley, who also was cut after he failed to win the job.
Since 2019, Tennessee has had 10 different kickers attempt at least one field-goal or extra-point try in a regular-season game: Ryan Succop, Sam Sloman, Cairo Santos, Cody Parkey, Josh Lambo, Greg Joseph, Stephen Gostkowski, Randy Bullock, Shudak and Badgley.
The Patriots drafted kicker Chad Ryland in Round 4 out of Maryland, and he figures to be the Patriots’ Week 1 kicker despite not attempting a single field-goal try in three preseason games this year. (Folk made New England’s only preseason FG attempt, a 44-yarder in the first game.)
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked about the team’s lack of game opportunities for his dueling kickers this weekend.
“We’ve had plenty of (field-goal attempts) in practice, so that’s what we have to go off of,” Belichick said.
While Folk lacks the leg strength to be a weapon on kickoffs or longer FG tries, Ryland at least flashed his strong leg on kickoffs, with five of his seven preseason attempts ending in touchbacks. Last season at Maryland, Ryland connected on 19 of 23 field-goal attempts (82.6%), including 3-for-6 on tries of 50 yards or longer.
The NFL’s kicker merry-go-round has been spinning quickly of late. On Monday, the Browns traded for kicker Dustin Hopkins from the Chargers. Earlier on Tuesday, the Broncos acquired Wil Lutz from the Saints.
Folk is the NFL’s fourth-leading active scorer with 1,517 career points, ranking 26th all-time in that category.
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