FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will have season-ending surgery for a left hip injury, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
Gostkowski, who will be placed on injured reserve, is expected to be ready for the 2020 season, the source told Schefter.
The Patriots, meanwhile, had a handful of kickers in for workouts Wednesday.
Gostkowski, who has been the team’s kicker since 2006, missed four extra points in the team’s 4-0 start. He was 7-of-8 on field goal attempts.
He also handled the team’s kickoffs, and he was tied for second in the NFL with 21 touchbacks. Rookie punter Jake Bailey, who also has experience with kickoffs, could now take over those duties.
This will mark the first time since 2010 that the Patriots have had a kicker other than Gostkowski. That was the season Gostkowski landed on injured reserve due to a thigh injury, and the team signed veteran Shayne Graham to fill the void.
Veteran Kai Forbath and first-year player Elliott Fry, who was beaten out by Eddy Pineiro for the Chicago Bears job, are two of the notable available free agents at the position.