June is almost here, meaning it's organized team activities (OTAs) season around the NFL. A good chunk of franchises already kicked off their respective OTAs earlier this week, and the Detroit Lions will join the action when their next offseason phase begins on Wednesday, May 28.
With just under a week to kill before Detroit's offseason action resumes, now is a perfect time for Lions fans to see how some of the franchise's former players are handling OTAs. Some ex-Lions are fitting in well with their new teams, while others are struggling to acclimate to their new environment — including one former kicker.
Former Lions K John Parker Romo is Struggling Amid Patriots OTAs
The Lions of deployed plenty of kickers throughout the years, including John Parker Romo. Unfortunately, the former Detroit special teamer's time with the New England Patriots isn't going as planned, according to Pats Pulpit's Brian Hines.
Hines is reporting that Romo struggled during Tuesday's OTA session. Competing with rookie K Andres Borregales to make kicks from "40-50 yards out," the ex-Lions kicker went a disappointing 2-of-4 with misses that went "wide right and wide left," whereas his rookie counterpart had a flawless 4-of-4 performance.
Even though OTAs aren't over yet, Romo's poor showing spells anything but good news. It's going to be harder for him to get back into the mix if Borregales continues to make his kicks, meaning it wouldn't be shocking if the Lions' ex-kicker found himself needing to look for a new team yet again.
After brief runs with the New Orleans Saints and the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas, the former Virginia Tech leg joined the Lions following a successful 2023 offseason tryout. Having said that, his time in the Motor City didn't last long.
The Romo hit his only field-goal and extra-point attempts in his lone preseason appearance with the Lions before being released, conceding the starting kicker job to Riley Patterson. The Peachtree City, GA native then went on to have brief stints with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings before joining the New England Patriots' practice squad in December.
Romo didn't touch the field for the Patriots after joining the team, but that didn't stop them from signing him to a future/reserve contract in January. Still, it looks like he'll need Borregales to implode if he wants to open the 2025 campaign as New England's top leg.
In the meantime, the Lions are likely thrilled they don't have to deal with Romo's inconsistent play. Former Arkansas K Jake Bates cemented himself as one of the NFL's top kickers with 26 field goals and a league-leading 64 extra points made last season, leaving Detroit without a need to shake up its special teams units.
Whether or not Romo will crack the Patriots' roster remains to be seen; however, one thing is for sure — Lions will continue monitoring his OTA development for updates, both positive and negative.