NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have recently signed Joey Slye, a seasoned kicker with six years of experience in the NFL, to be their new kicker. This decision indicates that the team is moving forward without the 40-year-old Nick Folk, who will not be returning for a third season with them.
The announcement of Slye’s deal was made on Monday by the Titans. Slye is set to step into big shoes as Folk has topped the NFL in field goal percentage for the past two seasons. Folk impressively made 96.7% of his field goals in 2023 and 95.5% in 2024. Despite Folk’s remarkable consistency, he missed three games last season as the Titans ended with a 3-14 record.
Joey Slye, who will turn 29 on April 10, began his career in the NFL in 2019 after his college stint at Virginia Tech, initially playing for the Carolina Panthers. In 2021, Slye found himself kicking for three different teams, starting with the Houston Texans for three games, then the San Francisco 49ers for another three games, and subsequently joining the Washington Football Team for six games. He achieved a career milestone last season with the New England Patriots by booting a career-best 63-yard field goal and previously struck a 61-yarder in 2023 for Washington.
Throughout his career, Slye has maintained an 81.7% success rate for his field-goal attempts. Last season, he made 26 out of 41 attempts from beyond 50 yards, missing just one extra-point kick. Meanwhile, Nick Folk has had an extensive career spanning 15 seasons, representing five different teams.
In addition to changing kickers, the Titans have also replaced their punter. They signed Johnny Hekker, a 17-year NFL veteran and four-time Pro Bowler, as their new punter to take over for Ryan Stonehouse. Stonehouse, a former undrafted free agent, achieved the top two single-season gross punting averages in NFL history, even leading the league with an impressive 52.2-yard average between 2022-24. Hekker joins the Titans, reuniting with John Fassel, the team’s new special teams coordinator.
Moreover, Tennessee has boosted their linebacker corps by claiming Curtis Jacobs off waivers from the New England Patriots.