Ryland was released by the Patriots earlier this year.
Following his disappointing rookie season with the New England Patriots, Chad Ryland has revitalized his career as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he has earned a major award due to his impressive turnaround.
Despite only joining the Cardinals in early October, the sophomore kicker has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month. In four games since joining the team, he has made three game-winning field goals.
In total, Ryland went 8-for-9 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points since arriving in Arizona — a significant improvement over his time in New England: as a rookie fourth-round draft pick in 2023, the Maryland product made just 80 percent of his combined field goal and extra point attempts. Now, he stands at 93.3 percent.
Ryland competed with offseason pickup Joey Slye for the Patriots’ kicker job this summer. The team eventually opted to go with the latter after a competition that was actually not particularly close, according to head coach Jerod Mayo.