Stephen Gostkowski is the leading scorer in New England Patriots history. He was released by the team at age 36 after season-ending hip surgery, but hopes to come back this season. Associated Press
Stephen Gostkowski isn’t done with the NFL just yet.
At age 36, having been cut by the New England Patriots following a season where he sustained a season-ending hip injury, there was serious concern whether Gostkowski’s career had come to a quiet end. But Gostkowski says he’s working on a comeback for the 2020 season.
“I’m not ready to just hang it up. I’m gonna try to play,” Gostkowski said.
Gostkowski, the Patriots’ all-time scoring leader and the fifth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, said that he’s progressing well in his comeback from injury and is gearing up for another season. However, getting a chance to show that he can still kick is pretty tricky right now, considering the coronavirus pandemic prevents him from working out for teams or taking a physical.
The Patriots released Gostkowski last month, ending the kicker’s 14-year run in New England. Bill Belichick released a statement on Gostkowski as a player – a rare move for the New England coach – saying that the kicker “is a great teammate who made outstanding contributions over a decade of championship football.”
For his part, Gostkowski says that he has nothing but positive memories of his time in New England, now that he has a chance to look back.
“When you’re in it and in the mode, you can never like, sit back and pat yourself on the back or talk about how good it was because you’d win, get drunk at the parade and after that you’re like, ‘OK, can’t talk about it anymore.’ It’s fun to look back, and everything I look back at is all positive memories,” Gostkowski said.
After cutting Gostkowski and letting replacement Nick Folk hit free agency, the Patriots head into the 2020 offseason without a placekicker. The team will now likely look forward to the NFL Draft or the open market to determine the future for their placekicking duties.
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