The Patriots were coming to a crossroads at kicker in the 2019 season. With long-time veteran Stephen Gostkowski landing on Injured Reserve, the team juggled a trio of journeymen kickers over the month of October. Few could've predicted that one of them would suddenly emerge as the team's kicker of the future.
First, it was Mike Nugent, a 15-year veteran who played four games and made 5-of-8 kicks before being released following two misses against the Browns. Next up was 11-year veteran Nick Folk, who was out of the NFL in 2018 and had most recently kicked in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, but after three games he was released following an appendectomy, giving way to Kai Forbath who filled in during a loss to the Texans.