Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Patriots kicker Chad Ryland is ‘no coward to a challenge’ in hopes of bounce-back season

Chad Ryland isn’t dwelling on his rookie season in New England, and for good reason.

He was a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, with the Patriots hoping the gifted kicker from the University of Maryland would replace Nick Folk and serve as a key cog on New England’s special-teams unit.

The results were far from encouraging in 2023, with the rookie only converting 64 percent (16 of 25) of his field-goal attempts last season. Ryland might remain on New England’s roster, but the team also signed veteran kicker Joey Slye earlier this month.