The last time we saw kicker Stephen Gostkowski, he was struggling to hit extra points consistently. In the four games he appeared in during the 2019 campaign, Gostkowski was 11 of 15 on extra point attempts. It was clear something was wrong, but it was just a question of what.

Three days later he was headed to IR and set to have surgery on a torn labrum. Now, the Patriots are set to start a new league year with a lot of questions surrounding the kicker.

Could this be the year the Patriots move on from him?

Let’s discuss money.

In 2020, the highest-paid kicker in the National Football League will be 36-year-old Gostkowski. According to the Boston Sports Journal, he’s slated to count $5.45 million against the cap. If the Patriots were to flat out release him, they would save $3.18 million. That money could be used to help find more weapons on offense that could help convince Tom Brady to return to Foxboro. Still, it’s not optimal to lost roughly 40% of someone’s contract for a release.

Are there even any suitable replacements?

Obviously, if Gostkowski returns to his pre-2019 ways when he’s healthy it would be tough to say there are many better options for the job. However, it’s not a sure thing that he reaches that level again. It’s still important to know who’s out there.

Mason Crosby is the top guy on the market. Last season, he hit 91.7% of his field goal and 97.6% of his extra points. It would probably take either an offer from a legitimate Super Bowl contender or a lot of money to pry him away from Green Bay where he’s resided since 2007. I’m not sure either can come from New England right now.

Longtime Ram Greg Zuerlein is also a free agent. In 2019, Zuerlein struggled, hitting only 72.7% of his field goals. However, he was able to nail all 42 of his extra point attempts. With his salary likely being similar to last year’s ($2.25 million), the small savings wouldn’t be worth moving on from Gostkowski.

The best option here would probably be for the Patriots to draft someone. Rodrigo Blankenship out of Georgia is this the top kicking prospect in the 2020 draft. He’s hit 82.5% of his field goals in his four years as a Bulldog. Those numbers may not look very impressive to NFL fans, but you can compare them to the 76.1% that Gostkowski hit in his four years at Memphis. It makes a lot more sense to draft a kicker and pay him late-round money to save the most, and Blankenship could be that guy.

Pre-injury performance

It’s tough to truly tell when this injury occurred. It could be something he was dealing with in the off-season, or it could have happened years ago and it’s just gotten worse over time. What is known is that, prior to 2019, Gostkowski didn’t look completely lost (87.3% on field goals and 97% on extra points since the change). In the Patriots’ final games of each season from 2015-2018, he missed at least one kick. Some were key parts of the loss while others proved to be inconsequential. Something just seemed off.

So, does it make sense to move on?

Not yet, but it could happen before the season starts.

It would be a pretty big surprise to not see Gostkowski on the training camp roster. However, it would be a mistake to bring him back untested. Another kicker should be in camp with him, preferably a rookie. That way Bill Belichick can fully assess the situation. If Gostkowski outperforms the rookie, he stays and the rookie might hit the practice squad. If the rookie wins, the Patriots save some money that could be useful for late signings, contract restructuring, or the trade market.

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