Andy Borregales’ latest miss has put the Patriots right back in a familiar spot: wondering whether they need to bring in another leg.
New England got past the Dolphins on Sunday and moved to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in the division, but the win didn’t erase the unease that came with it. The Patriots were already dealing with a long injury list, and even in victory there were questions about the way the game was managed. Mike Vrabel’s conservative first-half approach gave way to late aggressiveness that helped Miami reach the end zone, and an incomplete pass on 3rd and 5 kept an extra Dolphins timeout alive.
Special teams added another layer of frustration. Dolphins returner Jaylen Wright produced two strong kickoff returns, bringing one back to his own 47-yard line and another to his own 36.
He averaged more than 28 yards per return. But the bigger concern was Borregales pushing a 40-yard field goal wide right.
That was his third miss in the last eight weeks, and all three have come from inside 50 yards. He also missed an extra point against the Jets in Week 6.
Borregales has been uneven since the Patriots selected him in the sixth round in 2025. He missed a field goal in Week 1 last season, then followed that with two missed extra points in Week 2. He settled in after that, finishing the regular season with four missed kicks over the next 15 games while going perfect on extra points.
The sophomore kicker has shown he can be steady, but the Patriots can’t afford many more lapses. With their injury situation, the margin for error is thin, and a missed kick can swing a game fast - especially against better opponents than Miami. That makes a practice squad move worth considering.
One option is Cade York, a former fourth-round pick out of LSU in 2022. He was a strong college kicker, finishing his final two seasons just under 85% on field goals while making every extra point, and he earned All-SEC Second Team honors.
The NFL has been a much rougher ride. Cleveland used a top-125 pick on him, but his rookie year was his only season with the Browns.
He went 35/37 on extra points and 24/32 on field goals, with three of those misses coming from inside 40 yards. Since then, he has played only six games, split between Washington and Cincinnati in 2024.
He missed two field goals in the opener for Washington and was cut, then went 9/11 on field goals and 14/15 on extra points with the Bengals. York has now been with seven teams, most recently competing with Jason Sanders for the Jets’ kicking job.
Another name is Matt Prater, the league’s oldest player at 42. It’s not the most conventional move, and it probably isn’t the most likely one either, but the Bills did roster him last season after Tyler Bass got hurt, and he handled it well.
In 15 games, Prater made 18 of 20 field goals and 46 of 49 extra points, which stands out even more because a torn meniscus ended his 2024 season. He looks more like an emergency answer than a standard practice squad addition, but if Borregales keeps slipping and the Patriots decide they need to move on for a week or two, Prater could be signed to the practice squad and elevated.
That would keep Borregales from being exposed to waivers, giving New England another fallback if Prater didn’t work out. Still, if Prater is brought in, the expectation would be that he kicks.
A 42-year-old with four kids living in Arizona is not likely to sign on just to sit behind Borregales.
The most familiar name is John Parker Romo. He was originally added by Jerod Mayo’s staff in December 2024, though he never played that season.
He later found himself in a competition with Borregales after Joey Slye left in free agency. In the 2025 preseason, Romo made all five of his kicks, including three extra points and field goals from 28 and 57 yards, but Vrabel went with his own draft pick.
Romo then landed in Atlanta, where he replaced Younghoe Koo, another former Patriot.
His start with the Falcons was strong. In Week 2, he went 5-for-5 on field goals, including a 54-yarder.
But he went 0-for-2 in Week 3 and was uneven until Week 9, when he faced the Patriots. After Drake London scored to put New England ahead 24-23, Romo missed the extra point.
The Patriots held on and then released him two days later. He has not been on a roster since.
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