One decision that shouldn't be too difficult for Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is what to do at the kicker position. Riley Patterson proved he can handle the job, and he might save Jeff Hafley some headaches in 2026.
Patterson was good for the Dolphins last year. In a new metric that takes into account field goals made from different positions on the field, Miami's kicker ranked 10th among all kickers who attempted field goals and extra points.
The downside with Patterson is that he doesn't possess the leg strength to make consistent field goals outside of the 50.
FanSided's new kicker metric puts Miami Dolphins' Riley Patterson in the top of the NFL at his postion
Using this new set of parameters, Patterson scored a 7.679. Zero is weighted as the absolute average. Scores above zero are positive and below are negative. In 2025, his first full season in the NFL with one team and his first with Miami, he went 27-29 on field goals with one miss (34/35) on extra points.
"However, Patterson continued to add value through his accuracy rather than the strength of his right leg."Adam Fromal - FanSided.com
Patterson is a solid kicker inside of 50. He made his career long (54 yards) last year. The metrics here show that his accuracy inside the 40-yard line was phenomenal. He missed only one attempt inside of 50.
This isn't necessarily horrible. Hafley will be an NFL head coach for the first time this season. Coaches often find themselves debating whether or not to try a long field goal as opposed to punting. Patterson may not put it through consistently enough for Hafley to risk the field position.
Fans will point to Jason Sanders and his ability to kick long field goals, but he isn't consistent either and comes with a much bigger price tag. If the Dolphins release Sanders, they will save $3.9 million in cap space with less than $1 million in dead money.
Patterson was never supposed to be a full-season kicker for the Dolphins. Miami thought Sanders would return after four weeks, but that didn't happen. His hip injury should not be an immediate problem, but is it worth taking a risk on him retaining his distance and accuracy? Not if Patterson can do the job.
It's easy to fall into the trap of looking at a kicker's missed and made attempts, but in a game that continues to evolve, determining where a kicker is money from might be an important piece of information, especially if determining one player's contract vs. another.