Patriots K Andy Borregales Remains Hungry for Success
New England Patriots kicker Andy Borregales is entering the 2026 NFL season with a refreshing perspective on a familiar goal.
While most second-year specialists would be content to rest on the laurels of an impressive rookie season, the 23-year-old remains intently focused on improving his on-field performance. In other words, Borregales is not about to let his first-season success slake his competitive desire - especially as both he and the Patriots participate in OTAs this month at Gillette Stadium.
"Really, it‘s about trying to be better than the day before," Borregales told reporters earlier this week. "Even though I may not be in a [positional] competition, I'm always in competition with myself … I always try to give myself a challenge to maintain that "hunger mentality," by striving to consistently get better.
Borregales Parlayed a Slow Start Into an Impressive Rookie Season
Selected by New England at pick No. 182 in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Borregales has quickly become a fan favorite in Foxborough. The Miami product's cool demeanor under pressure has become an asset in making some impressive kicks during his brief tenure in New England. Borregales finished the season having made 27 of 32 attempts (84.4%), including 4-of-4 from 50+ yards. He also made four of his six postseason field-goal attempts, while converting a perfect 7-of-7 extra points.
However, it is important to remember that Borregales' rookie campaign was not entirely cloaked in comfort. After winning a tightly-contested training camp battle with veteran kicker John Parker Romo, the then-rookie continued to draw criticism from fans and media alike for missing a Week 1 field goal attempt against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Just one week later, he missed a pair of extra point attempts in Week 2 versus the Miami Dolphins - a dubious achievement which had many within Patriots Nation beginning to question the club's decision to spend valuable draft capital on his services.
Still, Borregales remained undaunted by his early struggles. In fact, his perseverance reached its crescendo when delivering a game-winning 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining to give the Pats a Week 5 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Since that time, the native Venezuelan has become an apt pupil of special teams coordiantor Jeremy Springer and assistant coordinator Tom Quinn.
With the start of the 2026 season fast approaching, Borregales understands that the current collaboration with his coaches will help lay the foundation for his playing a major role in the Patriots' defense of both their conference and division titles.
"It's always been a two-way street," Borregales said of his relationship with Springer and Quinn. "They are there to coach me up. I love the dynamic that we have and hopefully we have a lot more winning to do this year."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots K Andy Borregales Remains Hungry for Success.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 8:00 AM.