The New England Patriots will be on their fourth kicker of the season, apparently, when they face the Houston Texans Sunday. Nick Folk has undergone an appendectomy and will be out at least a week or two.
BREAKING: More kicking issues for #Patriots as league source confirms Nick Folk had appendectomy early Thursday and will almost certainly be OUT for Sunday in Houston. Already been through Gostkowski and Nugent this season.
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 28, 2019
This is amazing when you consider the Patriots basically had two kickers since Adam Vinatieri took over the job in 1996. Vinatieri kicked through 2005 and Steven Gostkowski took over the job and maintained it until being put on IR with a hip injury this season.
One option is punter Dan Bailey, who was a field goal kicker in high school at Santa Fe Christian in California, Bailey was 12-of-16 as a senior. The issue with that is Bailey has been the Patriots’ holder on field goals. Tom Brady or Jarrett Stidham could fill that role if Bailey becomes the Pats’ kicker.