New England Patriots sign veteran kicker Mike Nugent

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The New England Patriots signed veteran kicker Mike Nugent to a contract, the team announced Thursday.

The Patriots made the move one day after placing longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski on injured reserve due to a hip injury. He is expected to undergo season-ending hip surgery.

"Mike's a complete professional, played in this league for a long time," Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona told reporters. "Obviously made a lot of great kicks. Right now it's just about building chemistry and building it fast so we're ready for Sunday."

Nugent, 37, is entering his 14th season in the NFL. He last played for the Oakland Raiders last season but has also spent time with the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets.

In his career, Nugent is 253-for-311 on field goal attempts with a long of 55 yards. He was among the list of kickers the Patriots hosted Wednesday for a tryout.

Gostkowski is the Patriots' franchise leader in points (1,775) and field goals (374). He connected on 7-of-8 field goal attempts but missed four extra points this season.