New England Patriots

New England Patriots kicker John Parker Romo has signed a reserve/future deal with the organization on Monday. Romo joined the Pats practice squad in December after a stint with the Minnesota Vikings. Romo filled in for the injured Will Reichard for four games in Minnesota this season. He converted 11-of-12 field goal attempts and 7-of-8 extra point attempts in his time with the team. Current Pats' kicker Joey Slye made only 79 percent of his field goal attempts this season. Romo should get a legitimate shot at the kicking job in New England heading into next season.

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye went 2-for-2 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. He converted field goals from 41, 42, and 50 yards out. The 28-year-old finished as a top-24 fantasy kicker this season, demonstrating impressive power but dealing with accuracy issues and handling reduced opportunities on a Patriots team that struggled to score points. All in all, he finished the 2024 campaign with 95.8 percent accuracy on extra points and 78.8 percent accuracy on field goals. This season was far from a disaster, and Slye did provide more stability in 2024 than Chad Ryland did as a rookie with the Patriots in 2023. Still, the Patriots may look to bring in a different kicker as they head into the 2025 campaign. Slye is slated to hit free agency in March.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught four of his six targets for 27 yards during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. The veteran tight end handled an increased workload in the regular-season finale, playing 67.2 percent of the Patriots' offensive snaps with Hunter Henry (foot) sidelined. The 30-year-old finished as a low-end TE2 in fantasy football this season with 45 catches, 476 yards, and three touchdowns. Hooper was a pleasant surprise during his first year in New England, maintaining a significant role on offense despite being listed second on the depth chart behind Henry. He's slated to hit free agency in March but could be a priority re-signing for the Patriots' next coaching regime.