His leg might not have been needed to save a Super Bowl win like his predecessor, but the New England Patriots still made sure to keep Stephen Gostkowski around for a few more years.
The Patriots and Gostkowski had until 4 p.m. today to reach the deal, since the Pats had used their franchise tag on the kicker in March. According to ESPN, the deal is for four years and $17.2 million, making him the highest-paid kicker in the league.
The deal was first reported by the Boston Globe, although ESPN had the contract details first.
Gostkowski was drafted by the Pats in 2006 to replace Adam Vinatieri. Last season, he was the NFL’s leading scorer with 156 points. NFL.com notes that he has made 86.8 percent of his field goals in his career. He only missed two field goals last season, making 94.6 percent of his field goals, including a 53 yarder in October in Buffalo.
The kicker’s strong leg will definitely be valuable for the Patriots in the 2015 season, especially since the extra point has been moved to the 15-yard line.
Since Vince Wilfork moved on from the team this offseason, Gostkowski is now the second-longest tenured Patriot after Tom Brady.