Report: Patriots Kicker Nick Folk Undergoes Appendectomy, Ruled out vs. Texans

The New England Patriots will be without their starting kicker on Sunday. 

Nick Folk underwent an appendectomy on Thursday and will miss New England's Week Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans, per multiple reports:

Folk, 35, is one of three players to serve as New England's kicker this year. In three games, he's made 7-of-9 field attempts and is perfect on extra points (3-of-3). 

Stephen Gostkowski opened the season as the team's kicker, making 7-of-8 field goals and 11-of-15 extra points. But he required season-ending surgery on his left hip in early October, leaving the Patriots in need of a replacement. 

"He's meant a lot to this team, and you see a lot of that in the record books," veteran safety Devin McCourty said of Gostkowski at the time, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. " ... But I always speak on how much he means to the locker room. So he'll definitely be missed throughout the year, having his presence in there."

The Patriots then signed Mike Nugent, though he struggled in his four games with the Pats, finishing 5-of-8 on field goals and 15-of-16 on extra points. He was released in late October, and Folk was signed. 

But with Folk's injury, the Pats could potentially be fielding their fourth kicker this season in a crucial matchup against the Texans. New England is attempting to ward off the Baltimore Ravens for the top overall seed in the AFC playoffs. In a clutch moment, New England could find itself turning to yet another new face at the kicker position.