Report: Patriots Expected To Re-Sign Kicker Nick Folk, If Healthy
BOSTON (CBS) -- After striking out on a waiver claim for Chase McLaughlin, the Patriots are looking back to a familiar face to fill their kicking void ... provided he's healthy.
The team will reportedly re-sign Nick Folk, just one week after releasing the veteran kicker after he required an appendectomy. That reunion, though, depends on Folk's health.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the plans for the Patriots to re-sign Folk.
The #Patriots, who still do not currently have a kicker on the roster, are expected to re-sign Nick Folk, source said. He missed last week because of appendectomy. But he should be healthy now.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2019
Shortly thereafter, head coach Bill Belichick did not confirm the Folk news at his Friday morning press conference. That led to Rapoport adding some qualifiers to his report.
Update to this, with Bill Belichick telling reporters that Folk may not be headed back: The question was, Is he healthy enough after his appendectomy? And perhaps he's not. https://t.co/mSdd6WGbMP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2019
To clear up the #Patriots kicker tweets: Nick Folk, still a free agent at this point, is going to kick today to see how he feels. If he's good to go, he'll likely sign in NE. If not, it'll be another week. … And that sums up all the kicker things for today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2019
Folk, 35, signed with the Patriots after the team released Mike Nugent. Folk played in three games for New England, hitting seven of nine field goals and going 3-for-3 on PATs. His two misses came on a rainy Sunday against Dallas.
When Folk needed an appendectomy last week, the team signed Kai Forbath, who missed a PAT in Houston on Sunday and was released on Monday.
The Patriots have been in a bit of a scramble mode this year, after losing Stephen Gostkowski to a season-ending hip injury after Week 4. The team first signed Nugent, then Folk, and then Forbath. The team reportedly put a waiver claim on McLaughlin this week, but he ended up going to the Colts, who have an injured kicker themselves in Adam Vinatieri.