When it comes to place-kickers, not many have been more reliable than Stephen Gostkowski. According to one NFL insider, the New England Patriots might reward him with a contract extension for his efforts.
NFL teams don’t have too long to decide whether or not to use the franchise tag on their players.
With the March 5 deadline fast approaching, the Patriots are one of those teams, with kicker Stephen Gostkowski potentially on the receiving end of a franchise tag.
According to a prediction by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, however, the team will sign him to an extension instead of opting for a potentially more expensive franchise tag. Still, the option of a franchise tag is there for them, so Gostkowski likely isn’t headed anywhere.
“The Patriots could strike an extension with Gostkowski before free agency, but if they don't, assigning him the franchise tag would help them maintain some leverage to keep him in the fold in 2019.” Reiss said.
Reiss notes that while the cost of the franchise tag will likely be $5 million more than what the Patriots would actually pay the kicker through an extension, the possibility exists to keep him around should they not be able to strike a deal.
For Gostkowski, it would be tough to imagine the kicker leaving the friendly confines New England.
Since replacing Adam Vinatieri, Gostkowski has become one of the NFL's most reliable kickers, and while his play has seen a dip lately, the team is probably more likely to continue relying on him than test their luck on one of the many free agent kickers looking for work.
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