The Patriots went into their preseason finale game against the Giants with several roster battles yet to be settled. From the wide receiver room and the offensive line to kicker, there were plenty of players worthy of taking an extra close look at ahead of Tuesday's upcoming roster cut deadline.
For the most part, it seems beyond clear who should and shouldn't make the 53-man roster for the upcoming season, even if the preseason was mostly played by presumed backups, especially on Thursday night. However, the kicker competition became especially intriguing, as the 2025 draft pick fell behind the returning player from last season.
The assumption all summer has been that rookie Andres Borregales had the job in the bag, as the new regime led by Mike Vrabel picked him in the sixth round despite most teams not even drafting a kicker. It was clear they liked what they saw from him, given that he was considered the best of the class.
However, Parker Romo has taken the spotlight from him over the last few weeks, and based on Borregales' performance against the Giants on Thursday night, it might mean that Romo has locked up the position for the upcoming season.
The Patriots' final preseason game might have proven who their next kicker will be
Similar to how things were between Chad Ryland and Joey Slye last preseason, the battle of the kickers has been relatively neck and neck between Borregales and Romo over the past few months. It's made it difficult to determine who would come out the victor, as they both continued to have impressive showings on the practice field.
That has changed a bit when given the opportunity to suit up in a preseason game, and the latest performance from Borregales might have sealed his fate as the one destined to be relegated to the practice squad.
Mike Vrabel on rookie K Andy Borregales:
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) August 22, 2025
"I think he's hitting the ball okay. We expect to make those kicks. We'll have to see how this thing plays out. We have two kickers that we have a lot of faith in."
He was the designated kicker for the night, with Romo given the night off, and he was off to a rough start by missing the Patriots' first field goal attempt of the game from 49 yards. Although he hit the next one, the miss was noteworthy, given Romo hadn't had a similar performance when he was in at kicker.
It could be all that it takes for Vrabel and Co. to choose Romo as their next kicker. It is a risky decision, since cutting Borregales makes him available to every other team in the league to pick up, and the same can be said if he is moved to the practice squad. It's not guaranteed that he will re-sign with the Patriots after being cut.
It will have to be a decision they are entirely comfortable with because the risk might not be worth it if they still have an interest in keeping Borregales around to see how he can improve and become more consistent.