Patriots scouting report: Bryce Baringer is better than the numbers suggest

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 08: P Bryce Baringer (17) of the New England Patriots punts the ball during the Seattle Seahawks versus the New England Patriots Super Bowl LX game on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The New England Patriots overhauled their kicking game operation in the first offseason under new head coach Mike Vrabel, but they left one player standing. Bryce Baringer, the team's punter and holder since arriving in the league in 2023, remained with the club for the 2025 season.

Baringer had some ups and downs that year, but he still is the frontrunner to punt for the Patriots again in 2026. What to expect, though, in the final year of his rookie deal? Let's take a closer look at him.

Hard facts

Name:Bryce Baringer

Position:Punter/Holder

Jersey number:17

Opening day age:27 (4/26/1999)

Measurements:6'1 3/4", 215 lbs, 30 1/2" arm length, 9" hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

NFL:New England Patriots (2023-) |College:Illinois (2017), Michigan State (2018-22)

Unranked as a recruit out of Notre Dame Preparatory in Pontiac, MI, Baringer originally committed to play college football at Southern Michigan but eventually changed his mind to join Illinois as a walk-on. His time with the Fighting Illini did not last long, though: after not seeing any action and redshirting as a true freshman in 2017, he decided to enter the transfer portal and moved to Michigan State.

As a Spartan, he established himself as one of the better punters in college football and one of the most prolific players at the position in his school's history. A consensus first-team All-American as a redshirt senior as well as the Big Ten Punter of the Year, Baringer ended his stint in East Lansing with 36 in-game appearances as well as 161 punts for 7,406 yards and an average of 46.0 yards per kick.

Due to his success in college, Baringer became the first punter off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Patriots used the 192nd overall pick in the sixth round to bring him in, and he has been a core special teamer for them ever since. In his three seasons as a pro, the 27-year-old has seen action in a combined 55 regular season and playoff games, punting the ball 246 total times for 11,622 yards and a 47.2-yard average.

Scouting report

Strengths:A naturally gifted punter, Baringer combines a strong leg with the ability to send the ball downfield directionally. He has shown that he can place punts well within the opponent's 20-yard line as well as with an angle toward the sideline to neutralize dangerous returners. Typically providing solid hang-time, he allows his coverage unit to get down the field in time to make plays. He also has been solid as a holder on field goals and extra points throughout his career.

Weaknesses:Baringer has been streaky during his first three seasons as a pro, at times stringing disappointing performances together. He also tends to put too much mustard on his punts, especially from bad field position, which in turn robs them of their direction and makes it hard for coverage to be set up. He furthermore is not immune from the occasional mishit either, with his technique occasionally sloppy. While he has the build to be a factor as a tackler, he had a hard time finishing his attempts.

2025 review

Stats:21 games (0 starts) | 181 special teams snaps (33.0%) | 78 punts, 3,538 yards (45.4 gross/punt; 41.3 net/punt), 28 fair catches, 6 downed, 5 touchbacks, 9 out of bounds, 30 returns, 318 return yards (10.6/return), 1 TD | 1 missed special teams tackle (100%)

Season recap:Even though new head coach Mike Vrabel decided to retain coordinator Jeremy Springer and his assistant Tom Quinn, the Patriots still decided to make some sweeping changes on special teams. Kicker Joey Slye was not retained in free agency, while long snapper Joe Cardona - the club's longest-tenured player at the time - was released. At that point, Andy Borregales and Julian Ashby had been acquired through the draft.

Adding Borregales and Ashby to the mix as the new kicker and long snapper, respectively, meant that Borregales suddenly found himself the elder statesman within the Patriots' kicking game operation. Given that both rookies performed as a solid level in 2025, one can assume that the veteran did a good job as a leader in the room.

As far as his on-field contributions are concerned, Baringer showed some inconsistency at times. He also ranked in the middle of the pack in most punting statistics, both basic and advanced.

Baringer ranked 19th in the league during the regular season with a gross punting average of 47.4 yards, and 22nd with a 40.6-yard net. He also finished right around the NFL average in touchback percentage (7.8; 14th), inside-20 percentage (41.2; 15th), and return rate (43.1%; 16th). He also ranked 24th in yards allowed per return (12.0), was one of 13 punters giving up a touchdown in 2025, and had the 12th highest difference between gross and net punting yards among qualifiers (6.8).

When it comes to punt EPA, as analyzed by Puntalytics, Baringer ranked only 24th in the league with a -0.060 below expectation. He also received below-average scores as an open-field and deep-pinning punter.

That being said, punt performance is a complex issue as is best illustrated by the AFC Championship Game. Statistically, Baringer had a rough day, averaging only 37.9 yards on his eight kicks with three failing to travel 35 yards. However, as Springer later explained, the snowy conditions and the presence of All-Pro return man Marvin Mims Jr. forced the Patriots to adapt their punting and that what Bryce did in that game was exactly what we needed."

New England ended the game allowing only 8 total return yards on three runbacks. The 2.7-yard average per return was by far Mims Jr's worst of the season, and clearly below his pre-AFC Championship average of 15.6.

What the game against the Broncos and Springer's comments show is that the stats are not always reflective of Baringer's performance as the Patriots' punter. And while there were still some problematic moments both in that particular contest and others (i.e. Week 13 versus the Giants), his season as a whole was quite solid.

2026 preview

Position: Punter/Holder | Ability: Quality special teamer | Contract: Signed through 2026 (2027 UFA)

What will be his role? Baringer has been the Patriots' featured punter since his arrival in 2023, and will continue playing that role heading into his fourth season with the team. In addition, he will also serve as the holder on field goal and extra point attempts, meaning that he will be on the field for roughly one third of special teams snaps yet again.

What is his growth potential?Jeremy Springer called Baringer still a young guy technically" after the end of the season, indicating that there is room for growth even entering Year 4. The starting point of that is his consistency, which has been up and down each season.

Does he have positional versatility?Baringer offers the versatility that is standard for NFL punters in this day and age. Besides playing his listed position, he also serves as holder. Other than that, his flexibility is merely theoretical: he did attempt one pass and kickoff each during his college career, but has so far not been asked to do the same in the pros.

What is his salary cap situation?Entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed in 2024, Baringer is carrying a $1.19 million salary cap number that consists of a non-guaranteed base salary ($1.15M) and fully-guaranteed signing bonus proration ($45k). He is currently the 23rd most-expensive punter in the league.

How safe is his roster spot?Considering that the Patriots added no competition to their roster this offseason, Baringer seems like a safe bet to resume his role as the team's punter and holder in 2026. Obviously, his outlook can always change, but the current situation as well as Jeremy Springer's repeated praise suggests that New England is quite happy with the 27-year-old and what he can provide.

Summary:Baringer has not been the flashiest punter since joining the Patriots, but the team has held onto him through two head coaching changes and the occasional uneven outing. Whether he will remain in New England long-term will be seen, but for 2026 he again appears to be a quality option at an important position: the club seems to trust him and remains optimistic about his development.

What do you think about Bryce Baringer heading into the 2026 season? Is the Patriots' confidence in him warranted? Or will this be his final year with the club? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.