The New England Patriots announced they were signing Mike Nugent on Thursday, but that wasn't the only kicker move they made. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots are also signing former Los Angeles Chargers kicker Younghoe Koo to their practice squad.
In addition to signing veteran kicker Mike Nugent to their roster, the Patriots also are expected to sign former Chargers’ kicker Younghoe Koo to their practice squad, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2019
This is an interesting move, and it has to raise some eyebrows if the team is trying to find a long-term replacement for Stephen Gostkowski. Koo played for part of the 2017 season with the Chargers going 3-of-6 on field goals and 9-of-9 on extra points. He also kicked earlier this year in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) before the league folded.
Gostkowski has struggled this year and is now undergoing hip surgery so it could explain some of the reasons for the struggle. He is the Patriots' all-time leader in points and field goals and has been with the team since 2016.
Patriots safety Devin McCourty knows that Gostkowski is going to be really missed, especially with his presence in the locker room.
“He's meant a lot to this team, and you see a lot of that in the record books,” veteran safety Devin McCourty said via ESPN. “… But I always speak on how much he means to the locker room. So he'll definitely be missed throughout the year, having his presence in there.”
Gostkowski is expected to be ready for the start of next year but who knows if the Patriots have other plans. They have never been afraid to move on from anyone, no matter how popular and this could be one of those situations.
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