The New England Patriots kicker competition is reportedly over.
Second-year pro Chad Ryland and veteran Joey Slye battled for the top kicker job throughout training camp. It was a close competition, as both kickers had good days and bad days. But, hours before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET roster cutdown deadline, Jerod Mayo and company made their decision.
Patriots Reportedly Make Decision on Kicking Competition
The Patriots released Ryland, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news of Ryland’s release.
This doesn’t mean Ryland’s Patriots career is over. The Maryland product will hit waivers, but if he clears, he could return to New England’s practice squad or, in a less likely scenario, re-sign to the 53-man roster.
The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed reported Slye won the kicking competition but added that the Patriots were still “ironing out the details” with Ryland.
Patriots K Joey Slye won the kicking job, per source.
Sounds like the Patriots are still ironing out the details on what they'll do with 2023 fourth-round pick Chad Ryland.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 27, 2024
Maybe Ryland stays with the Patriots. Maybe he doesn’t.
Regardless, his release is another bad look for former head coach Bill Belichick.
PFN Analysis: Drafting Chad Ryland Was a Huge Miss by Bill Belichick
Belichick used a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Ryland, who was viewed as one of the two best kickers in his class. The move made at least some sense, as the Patriots seemingly needed a younger, higher-upside kicker to push veteran Nick Folk.
Belichick could’ve addressed other roster needs, of which there were many. Instead, he used a Day 2 pick on a kicker. No harm, no foul — as long as Ryland justified the selection.
But he didn’t. Ryland struggled throughout his rookie campaign while converting just 16 of 25 field-goal attempts and missing one extra point. He missed two field goals from 50+ yards, five between 40 and 49 yards, and two between 30 and 39 yards.
It was ugly, especially late in the season.
Ryland hit a long game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos late in the campaign but also missed a chip-shot game-winner against the New York Giants earlier in the season. He was too inconsistent, and the trend continued during his second training camp.
Belichick’s draft failures often are overstated, but his drafting of Ryland absolutely warrants criticism.