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For the New England Patriots, the kicker position will remain at the right leg of Nick Folk.
The Patriots have re-signed the veteran specialist to a one-year deal that includes $1.225 million guaranteed, ESPN’s Field Yates reported Thursday afternoon.
Folk went 26-of-28 on field goals for New England last season after returning in August and beginning September on the practice squad as a standard elevation. He finished 2020 having made 26 in a row after seeing his initial attempts of the season go wide right and wide left of the uprights.
The 36-year-old Folk twice earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in the process, converting game-winners from 50-plus yards as time expired against the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. He also converted 30-of-33 extra points in an operation featuring Joe Cardona at long snapper and first-team All-Pro punter Jake Bailey at holder.
Folk originally entered the league in the sixth round of the 2007 draft out of the University of Arizona. Named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, he would go on to make stops with the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football League. And in the fall of 2019, Folk agreed to terms with the Patriots after all-time scoring leader Stephen Gostkowski’s placement on injured reserve was followed by Mike Nugent’s release.
New England now begins the new league year with three kickers on the depth chart.
Folk is joined by 2020 fifth-round draft choice Justin Rohrwasser and fellow former Buccaneer Roberto Aguayo. Both of whom closed out this past campaign on the practice squad before agreeing to futures contracts in January.