Former Michigan kicker Quinn Nordin has taken the starting spot over New England Patriots veteran kicker Nick Folk to open the 2021 season.

“Nick’s got a pretty good level of consistency since we’ve had him,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when making the announcement on Monday. “He’s been pretty steady. His opportunities were a little bit less. We wanted to give some more opportunities to Quinn. We’ll see how all that goes, but it was a very competitive spot, and it is a competitive spot, and we’ll obviously have to make a decision. It’s good to have that kind of competition and have good players competing.”

Nordin wasn’t chosen in the 2021 NFL Draft, but signed with the Patriots in May, several days after the draft concluded. He went on to kick in all three of the Patriots preseason games during August, converting on 6-of-8 field goals and 4-of-7 on extra points. His long pokes so far have been from 48 and 50 yards. After missing three attempts from close range against the Philadelphia Eagle, he bounced back to hit all but a 54-yard shot in the closing seconds in the preseason finale against the New York Giants.

For Folk, after signing a one-year deal in March for $1.225 million guaranteed and is coming off a 2020 season converting 92.9 percent of his field goal attempts and 90.2 percent of extra points for New England. As a vested veteran, he is eligible for the practice squad of 16 per the new league collective bargaining agreement, and he would be subject to waivers.

Fold was a ProBowl kicker in 2007 and has played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Patriots open at home against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 25 with a 3:25 PM kick off.