The fate of Cody Parkey at this point remains shrouded in uncertainty. He’s under a big contract for the Chicago Bears and would gain no cap space by being cut. However, after missing 11 kicks in total for 2018, two of them being potential game-winners against Miami and Philadelphia, it’s hard to find any justification for keeping him.
Sometimes a team needs to take accountability into play here. Parkey may have signed a big contract, but he hasn’t lived up to it. The Bears need to send the right message that while continuing to support him all year, his failure to reward their faith has limits. He needs to go and they must find somebody who can give them what they lack.
Looking at the landscape for this coming spring, there will be some potential options available for the Bears, both in free agency and the draft. Names that have credibility both for their experience and their poise under pressure. Here are the five that fans should keep an eye on in the coming months.
Robbie Gould (FA)
It would be a fun story if nothing else. The old warhorse trotting home for one more round with his original team. Gould is 38-years old so there’s no telling how much gas he has left in the tank at this point. However, he’s been excellent the past three years, making 82 of 85 field goal attempts since leaving the Bears. He is a free agent in 2019 and there’s a strong possibility he could return to the San Francisco 49ers. Much depends on how much they want him back.
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Stephen Gostkowski (FA)
The New England Patriots have a long history of letting older players walk up to a certain point. If they did it with Adam Vinatieri years ago, there is every reason to think they’ll do it with Stephen Gostkowski. The four-time Pro Bowler has been consistently good for a long time since taking over for Vinatieri in 2006. He’s 35-years old and has kicked in staggering 25 playoff games with the 26th just around the corner. That along with his two Super Bowl rings lends plenty of credibility as a big-moment kicker.
Wil Lutz (FA)
Most of the attention in New Orleans goes to their offense for obvious reasons, but people have overlooked just how excellent Will Lutz was for them in 2018. He booted a total 83 kicks this season between extra points and field goals. He only missed three of them. That’s absurd accuracy. If this is the case, why isn’t he atop the list? Lutz will be a restricted free agent this year. That means if the Bears want him, they’ll have to make a big offer in order to dissuade the Saints from matching. That seems unlikely given all the money they shelled out for Parkey.
Cole Tracy (DFT)
The 2019 draft class actually seems to be fairly strong at kicker. Leading the way is LSU standout Cole Tracy. He was one of their biggest weapons this past season, going 25-of-29 for the year. Three of those four misses were from beyond 50 yards. He basically kicked his team to an upset of Georgia with five field goals and has proven to have ice water in his veins in crunch time. Accuracy, range, and calm under pressure? Yes, please.
Matt Gay (DFT)
The Utah kicker is a seasoned veteran who has produced quality play the past two years. He was a bit better in 2017 though (30-of-34 to 24-of-29). That said he’s got plenty of leg, showing an ability to consistently hit from beyond 50 with a long of 56. It’s possible he may be drafted but he could end up being a quality undrafted free agent they could pounce on. He’s no stranger to kicking in all sorts of conditions.
