Folk Safe? Patriots Work Out Trio of Kickers

While the Pats are keeping their depth options, the starting job appears to remain securely in the clutches of veteran Nick Folk.

FOXBORO — As Det. Billy Rosewood once said to Sgt. John Taggart in 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II, "you can never have too much firepower.”

While the New England Patriots kicking duties for 2022 are seemingly in the secure grasp of veteran Nick Folk [who signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract with the team in the offseason], head coach Bill Belichick and company seem to be keeping their options open when it comes to depth options at the position.

The team worked out free-agent kicker Tristan Vizcaino on Monday, per a report from NFL Network. The 25-year-old entered the NFL in 2018 as an undrafted rookie free agent from Washington. Since then, he has spent time with six teams, primarily as a member of their respective practice squads. Vizcaino suited up for one game with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, and appeared in six games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021. He has connected on 9 of his 10 field goal attempts at the pro level, as well as 12 of 17 extra points. He also logged one punt last year with Los Angeles.

News of Vizcaino’s workout should not be misinterpreted as proverbial kindling to spark a starting kicker controversy. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Nick Folk will handle those duties for at least the next two seasons. The 37-year-old finished 2021 tied for first in the NFL in points scored, second in field goals made and sixth in field-goal percentage (92.3%). He made 36 of 39 field goals, with his longest coming from 53 yards. Since arriving in New England, Folk has made 90.5 percent of his 84 field goal attempts. In fact, only three kickers [with a minimum of 70 attempts] in the NFL have a better overall field goal percentage. In addition to his reliability, he has also shown an ability to kick for distance, connecting from beyond 50 yards in several clutch situations.

While Folk’s statistics have been impressive, his reliability and durability have drawn both the attention, and admiration, of his teammates, coaches and Patriots fans. Ironically, Folk’s presence on the Patriots was far from guaranteed to begin the 2021 season. After signing a deal in the offseason to return to New England, the Pats signed undrafted rookie free agent kicker Quinn Nordin, who pushed Folk for a spot on the roster during training camp. During final roster cut downs, Folk was released, with Nordin earning the spot on New England’s 53-man roster. Shortly thereafter, he would return to the Patriots, as a member of their practice squad. When Nordin was placed on injured reserve with an abdomen injury, Folk once again found himself handling the Patriots’ kicking duties, which he held for the entirety of the season.

While Vizcaino is highly unlikely to push Folk for his job, the same may not be said for Nordin. Since joining the team as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Michigan in May, fans and media alike have helped to cultivate the legend of his leg strength. During his four years with the Wolverines, Nordin made 42 out of 58 field goals. He also converted a 57-yard field goal at the end of the first half of the 2020 Citrus Bowl against Alabama, setting a record for the longest field goal in Citrus Bowl history. It was also the longest field goal made in Michigan's program history. During training camp, special teams captain, Matthew Slater, even compared Nordin’s leg to a “cannon” and expressed excitement on watching him develop.

As training camp progressed, the legend of Quinn Nordin continued to grow. His kicks routinely split the uprights from impressive distances, often with room to spare. At one point, Nordin had yet to miss a kick inside the confines of Gillette Stadium. Nordin finished the preseason going 6-of-8 on field goals and 4-of-7 on extra points with longs of 48 and 50 yards. He was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the 2021 season with an abdomen injury. Nordin was released by the team on December 1, and subsequently signed to the practice squad two day later after clearing waivers.

Nordin signed a futures contract with the Patriots in the offseason. However, the 23-year old has yet to be spotted at any of the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, including both sessions of OTAs open to the media throughout the past two weeks.

In addition to Vizcaino, the Patriots continue to scout potential talent at the position. According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots hosted two other free agent kickers, Matt Wright and John Baron. Wright played in 14 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, connecting on 87.5 percent of his 24 field goal attempts. Conversely, Baron has yet to appear in an NFL game.

The Patriots are set to begin mandatory minicamp Tuesday at Gillette Stadium with the program concluding Thursday.