Vrabel Rips Patriots Kicker After 3 Missed Field Goals in Preseason

Q: With Joey Slye struggling in camp, could this preseason opener ultimately cost him his kicking job on the Titans' roster?

Yes — if Joey Slye has another shaky outing Thursday, the preseason opener could put his roster spot in real jeopardy. The Titans have already signaled concern. Slye is the only kicker on the roster, but his camp has been uneven, with multiple missed kicks in practices and the Blue & White scrimmage. Tennessee has responded by working out several kickers, including Josh Karty, Younghoe Koo, John Hoyland and John Parker Romo. That is strong evidence the team is actively preparing alternatives rather than simply monitoring him. The game matters because it gives coaches a live evaluation under pressure, not just a practice sample. Tennessee’s staff wants to see Slye “settle down,” and while he did bounce back by going perfect in recent joint-practice work against San Francisco, that likely bought him time, not security. In a preseason opener, misses are magnified because there are few reps and every one is easy to isolate in the evaluation. Slye’s past cuts both ways. He was serviceable in 2025, making 28 of 35 field goals, and he remains valuable because of his leg strength, especially from long range. But his 80% accuracy and current inconsistency make him less protected than a firmly established veteran. So one bad night may not automatically end his run, but it could absolutely accelerate a move. If he misses makeable kicks Thursday, Tennessee appears positioned to bring in competition immediately — and potentially replace him as soon as the next day.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 14

Three missed field goals by Patriots kicker Andy drew a blunt response from Mike Vrabel after New England’s preseason game: “We’re expected to make them. That’s pro football.”
Vrabel corrected a reporter who said Andy had missed two kicks, underscoring that all three failures mattered in a preseason stretch built around roster evaluation.
The remarks highlighted an early special-teams concern for New England, with the coach offering no public reassurance as players fight for jobs before the regular season.