Tom Brady pays tribute to longtime Patriots kicker after his reported release
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The New England Patriots on Monday reportedly released longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski after spending 14 seasons with the team and was one of the longest-tenured players next to Tom Brady.
Brady, who recently left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was among the first to pay tribute to Gostkowski, who won three Super Bowls with the team from 2006 to 2019. ESPN and the NFL Network were among the first to report Gostkowski’s departure.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“An amazing player and friend,” Brady wrote on his Instagram Stories.
Along with the three Super Bowls, Gostkowski became the heir to the kicking role that was vacated by Adam Vinatieri. The Patriots selected Gostkowski in the fourth round of the 2006 draft.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Over the course of his long Patriots career, Gostkowski was named to four Pro Bowls and was selected to the First Team All-Pro squad twice.
He was 374-for-428 all-time and the longest field goal he ever hit was 62 yards in 2017.
Gostkowski, 36, only appeared in four games for the Patriots in 2019.
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New England doesn’t have any kickers listed on their active roster. Nick Folk is among the unrestricted free agents the team could re-sign between now and the start of the season.