Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski needs surgery, headed to injured reserve
The longest-tenured New England Patriots player not named Tom Brady is headed for the sideline.
The Boston Globe reports that kicker Stephen Gostkowski will be placed on injured reserve. The Patriots confirmed the news Wednesday afternoon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he’ll require season-ending surgery on his left hip.
Earlier Wednesday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the Patriots were working out kickers. Schefter reports that Kai Forbath and Mike Nugent are among those trying out.
Gostkowski’s struggles
The 14-year Patriots veteran who’s won three Super Bowls with New England has missed four extra point attempts through the first four games of the season. The Patriots are 4-0, but his miss on Sunday against the Buffalo loomed large in the game’s final moments until the Bills’ last drive ended with an interception in a 16-10 Patriots win.
The kicker position has been a picture of stability in New England for decades. Adam Vinatieri held the job from 1996 to 2005 before Gostkowski took over in 2006 when the likely future Hall of Famer left for the Indianapolis Colts. Shayne Graham is the only other kicker to play for the Patriots in that time frame, filling in eight games for Gostkowski when he was injured in 2010.
Gostkowski is 11-of-15 on extra point attempts this season. Prior to this year, Gostkowski had missed six extra points out of 649 attempts.
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