4 free-agent kickers the Panthers should target for camp competition

Stephen Gostkowski

Another notable name on the free-agent market is Stephen Gostkowski, who is one of the most decorated kickers in NFL history. In addition to a reliable veteran presence, he would also give the Carolina Panthers experience of being around a winning organization in the New England Patriots for almost his entire career.

Gostkowski’s credentials are there for all to see. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion, earned two All-Pro selections, and is a four-time Pro Bowler from a 15-year career to date.

The kicker was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s in recognition of his exceptional consistency in crucial situations for Bill Belichick’s men during their unprecedented period of dominance – something that former Panther duo Luke Kuechly and Julius Peppers also earned.

If one just looked at these accolades, it would be a head-scratcher as to why Gostkowski is still sitting on the free-agent market looking for a new home.

However, his time on the Tennessee Titans in 2020 didn’t go according to plan and resulted in a 69.2 percent field goal success rate over 15 games, which was the lowest of his glittering career by a substantial margin.

Unsurprisingly, the Titans opted to part ways with Gostkowski, who may have fallen off the cliff in terms of production last time out. The Carolina Panthers could take a look at camp and see if this is the case for themselves, and the veteran is also someone Joey Slye could learn from for as long as he’s around.