During his New England tenure, Bill Belichick became known for many things, most of which make him perhaps the greatest head coach of all time. Other things have made some question his legacy, which includes a less-than-successful history with drafting players the Patriots roster needed to continue their dynasty.
Among some of the more questionable decisions he made over the years was selecting kicker Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. It's almost unheard of for a special teamer to be taken so high in a draft, even more so since the Patriots actually traded up to ensure they got him.
They certainly needed a new kicker, given that Nick Folk was getting older and the belief that he was closer to retiring than continuing his career. However, Belichick's decision to replace the proven veteran with the questionable rookie proved to be an immediate mistake, a judgment that continued to be validated over the next two years.
That was immediately apparent given that Folk went on to have one of the best seasons of his career with the Titans, which could have been with the Patriots instead. On top of that, Ryland's success with the Cardinals serves as a painful reminder of the mistake that Jerod Mayo made by releasing him, given how poorly he performed during his lone season with the Patriots.
Chad Ryland might have been a solid kicker for the Patriots to have kept, after all
Throughout the 2024 season, Ryland earned widespread praise for his clutch performances with the Cardinals, as he consistently kept the team in games and won them due to late-game field goals, some of which were 50+ yards out.
That streak appears to be continuing, at least according to the latest video of the kicker hitting a 72-yard field goal while practicing ahead of their matchup with the Broncos last weekend, putting Mayo to shame once again for moving on from him so quickly.
Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland from 72 yards in pre-game warmups in Denver. pic.twitter.com/gz63waCiFd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2025
Although it was just a practice kick in Denver, which could be attributed to the elevation, it's another example of Ryland's talent, yet Mayo chose not to stick with the former fourth-round pick.
At the same time, however, it's not shocking or unexpected that the head coach decided it was time to move on from the kicker after the kind of season he had in 2023. He missed far too many field goals that would have kept the Patriots within reach of a win, if not win the game entirely, forcing the offense to stay on the field on fourth down much too often.
But it might have also been worth giving him another offseason to prove himself, at the very least, and see if he could overcome the woes that were holding him back. Ryland clearly didn't have support from his coaching staff, and it took a hit to his confidence, proving even more why he's succeeding in Arizona since arriving there.
Fortunately, the Patriots now have a heated competition going at the position between Parker Romo and rookie Andres Borregales, who are neck and neck in winning the starting job. The hope, of course, is that either will succeed, no matter who is chosen for the role, and right now, it's not clear who that will be just yet.