The 2025 NFL draft came and went, offering the New England Patriots plenty of opportunities to address various roster needs.
Fortunately, the Patriots’ front office and scouts did a fantastic job at addressing both sides of the ball, and even made a special teams addition by spending the 182nd overall pick on University of Miami kicker Andres Borregales.
Although Borregales is a solid prospect, Patriots fans are concerned about how he’ll handle his new city’s weather.
The New England falls and winters are known for their harsh temperatures and occasional snowfalls, leaving time to tell how the 23-year-old rookie will handle the environment after being born in Venezuela and spending his entire football career so far in Florida.
Patriots Rookie K Andres Borregales Isn’t Concerned About Cold Weather
Those concerns are valid, especially after the Patriots’ last kicker draft pick (Chad Ryland) was a bust. Fortunately, Borregales just did a good job of putting those worries to rest thanks to inspiration from a New England kicking legend.
“All my life, I looked up to Adam Vinatieri. A legend, honestly, especially all those kicks in the snow,” Borregales confessed in an interview with the Patriots’ website (h/t @NESportsFellow). “I know a lot of people thought that, obviously, being from Miami, I can’t handle the cold, but I think I can prove people wrong about that.
#Patriots K Andres Borregales on playing in the cold:
“All my life, I looked up to Adam Vinatieri. A legend, honestly….I know a lot of people thought that obviously being from Miami, I can’t handle the cold, but I think I can prove people wrong about that.”
(🎥: @Patriots) pic.twitter.com/ycfaPpMTcK
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) April 27, 2025
Borregales’ confidence is admirable, so let’s hope that his on-field performanc matches his self-belief.
The two-time first-team All-ACC kicker has certainly earned the right to be as confident as he is in his abilities.
During his four-year run at Miami, Borregales went 183-of-184 (99.5%) on extra-point attempts while converting on 74-of-86 field-goal tries (86.0%).
He also led the ACC in extra points (62) and field goals (22) in 2024 and 2023, respectively, proving he has what it takes to be among the best at his position.
Nevertheless, most of Borregales’ kicking was done in warmer environments, resulting in concern about how he’ll handle the New England cold.
He’ll need to adapt to the frigid temperatures if he wants to be a long-term Patriots fixture, and his journey to tat role will begin this summer.
Barring any other signings, Borregales is poised to compete with John Parker Romo for the Patriots’ starting kicker job. The 27-year-old veteran joined the Pats’ practice squad in December before signing a reserve/future contract just before the offseason began.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine Romo being much of an obstacle in Borregales’ path. The Peachtree City, GA native wasn’t anything special with the Minnesota Vikings last season, finishing with a 91.7 FG% (11-of-12) and 87.5 XP% (7-of-8) on four appearances.
It won’t be much longer before Borregales and the rest of New England’s rookies hit the field.
All 32 NFL teams will be holding their rookie minicamps throughout the first two weeks of May, meaning the Patriots should be announcing their schedule in the coming days.
