The Indianapolis Colts have prevented the rival New England Patriots from adding the best available kicker.
The Colts claimed kicker Chase McLaughlin off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, the team announced. Indy now has McLaughlin and veteran Adam Vinatieri on its kicker depth chart. Teams don't need two kickers, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that an injury to Vinatieri could be the reason for the Colts claiming the rookie.
The Patriots need a kicker after waiving Kai Forbath after Sunday's Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans. McLaughlin was arguably the top kicker on the market and would have been a good pickup for the Patriots. The Colts were able to sign him first because they had a higher waiver priority based on team record. Teams with the worst records get first crack on the waiver wire, and since the Patriots have one of the best records at 10-2, they had to wait for most of the league to decide on McLaughlin.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed Wednesday the Patriots put a waiver claim in for McLaughlin.
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New England Patriots
McLaughlin most recently played in three games for the San Francisco 49ers while veteran Robbie Gould was injured, and the University of Illinois product made seven of eight field-goal attempts with the NFC West team. Before joining the 49ers, McLaughlin played four games for the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this season and converted on six of nine field-goal tries. He's connected on all 15 of his extra-point kicks between the Chargers and 49ers.
The Vinatieri angle is interesting as well. If McLaughlin proves to be more reliable than Vinatieri, would the Colts release the potential Hall of Famer? In that scenario, would the Patriots consider a reunion with the kicker that helped them win three Super Bowl championships?
Vinatieri has struggled this season, though. He's hit on just 17 of his 25 field goal attempts in 2019. The last time Vinatieri missed eight or more field goals in a single season was 2003.
The Patriots need to figure something out before the weekend or rookie punter Jake Bailey might have to kick field goals in Sunday's Week 14 showdown versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
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