Andy Borregales missed three field-goals in last week’s preseason opener but responded with a string of successful practice sessions this week, according to reporting by Boston.com. The quick turnaround included multiple makes in joint work with the Philadelphia Eagles and sessions using a smaller crossbar as he preps for the next preseason game.
What happened in the preseason opener
In the preseason game, Andy Borregales missed three field-goal attempts, including a 49-yarder that would have given the Patriots the lead late in the contest. That miss and the overall number of misses prompted coach Mike Vrabel and his staff to say they would consider bringing in competition for the kicking job, per the Boston.com piece by Khari A. Thompson.
Andy Borregales’ bounce-back in practice
After the opener, Borregales put together a markedly better week in practice. The Boston.com story lays out his day-by-day results, showing improvement in multiple sessions and a long make during a two-minute drill.
Table source: Boston.com reporting by Khari A. Thompson.
Coach comments and the snapper note
Coach Mike Vrabel told reporters he and the staff had discussed adding competition after the opener but that they also examined whether the issue was broader than the kicker. As Vrabel was quoted by Boston.com, “Again, I don’t want to make excuses, but we were trying to take a look at another snapper.”
Vrabel added that Julian Ashby “was dealing with something, so we felt like it would be a good opportunity to take a look at another snapper.” He stressed the mechanics of the operation: “You just understand how critical that operation is, the snap, the laces, all the other things. Yes, we have to make them. But I felt like, to Andy’s credit, he had a great day in front of the team and was able to make the one there at the end, after the two-minute drill.” All coach comments and the snapper note are drawn from Khari A. Thompson’s Boston.com report. The characterization of Ashby “dealing with something” is presented in the Boston.com piece as a coach’s statement and should be treated as unconfirmed.
Season context and last-year accuracy
Context matters when judging a small sample of preseason kicks. According to the Boston.com piece, Borregales made 27 of his 32 field-goal attempts last year (84.4 percent) as a rookie, and he converted all four of his attempts from 50-plus yards. The article notes that all of his misses last season fell between 30 and 49 yards — a distance range where NFL kickers typically convert at higher rates.
Range has not been an issue for Borregales; his long-distance success in 2025 provides context for the recent misses, which the article describes as more wide than short. Borregales told reporters he would review the film to assess what went wrong, per the Boston.com reporting.
What this means for the kicking competition and next steps
As of Wednesday, Boston.com reports there had been no new kickers added to the Patriots’ roster. Vrabel said staff would discuss whether to bring in competition, and the source noted that roster decisions remain unsettled. The Boston.com story stated that Borregales “will likely get another chance” to show improvement on Saturday; that phrasing is presented in the article as a forward-looking assessment rather than a roster guarantee.
Realistically, Borregales’ practice bounce-back reduces immediate roster pressure but does not remove uncertainty. Coaches will continue to watch his workflow with the snapper and evaluate performance in regulation-game conditions, where the posts and crowd noise can change outcomes. Fans should watch Saturday’s game and subsequent practice logs for clearer signals about job security.
Key takeaways
- Andy Borregales missed three kicks in the preseason opener but rebounded with solid practice results across multiple sessions.
- Coach Mike Vrabel said the staff examined the snapper situation and noted Julian Ashby “was dealing with something,” per Boston.com; that note is presented as an unconfirmed coach statement.
- Last year’s rookie numbers (27-for-32, all 50+ makes) provide a larger sample that tempers early preseason concerns.
Source attribution: This article summarizes reporting by Khari A. Thompson for Boston.com, which supplied the practice logs, quotes and season context used here.
