Earlier this offseason, it looked like the Tennessee Titans might lose kicker Nick Folk in free agency, which would have been a significant blow considering how consistent the veteran kicker was in 2023.
Thankfully, Folk ended up re-signing to keep the Titans’ elite specialists group intact. And, despite a report that he wanted to test the free-agent market, Folk always wanted to come back.
“For me, it’s always been a patient game,” Folk said, according to Jim Wyatt. “I kind of understand the game, and I understand the business side of it. I was patient with it, and I knew I wanted to play. I told that to Ran (Carthon) at the end of the season, that I wanted to keep playing, that I loved it here. I wanted to come back, and I’m excited to be back. Now it’s about getting ready for another season.”
Speaking of getting ready, Folk, who is set to turn 40 in November and is entering his 17th season in the NFL, admits he’s changed his approach a bit as he gets older.
“A lot of it has to do with how I’ve trained, the timing of training, the timing of kicking,” Folk said. “When I was younger, I used to be able to kick a lot, go multiple days in a row, kick a lot more balls. Now I am very rep conscious, if you will. I’ve always kind of been quality over quantity and I know there’s going to be days when I need the quantity, but I still want to make it quality.
“You could maybe look at my technique and say not much has changed, but there are little nuances,” he added. “And I think a lot of that changes as your body changes. When you get older, maybe you’re not as flexible, the leg is not as lively, so you’re going to have to change some things technically to continue going. So, it is just small, little things… to try to find ways to continue to improve.”
Not only has Folk given the Titans much-needed stability at kicker, he’s proven to be one of the very best at the position in the NFL. Hopefully that continues in 2024.
