With hours remaining before the deadline, the New England Patriots reportedly have no plans to tag their kicker.
The Patriots aren't expected to use their franchise tag on Stephen Gostkowski, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
Rapoport noted New England hasn't ruled out using its franchise tag ahead of the NFL's 4 p.m. ET deadline for teams to designate the tag.
But of the Patriots' three candidates to receive the tag -- defensive end Trey Flowers and offensive tackle Trent Brown are the other two -- Gostkowski seemed to be the most realistic option, as he'd cost New England just under $5 million as opposed to $17.1 million for Flowers and $14 million for Brown.
If the Patriots don't tag Gostkowski before 4 p.m., they still could negotiate with the 35-year-old kicker regarding a new contract during the league's legal tampering period from March 11 to March 13.
New England Patriots
After that, Gostkowski would hit the open market, as New England would have to decide whether to keep the same kicker they've employed since 2006 or explore other options.
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