The Dolphins will have a new kicker for the final two weeks of the season.
They announced Friday that Dan Carpenter has been placed on injured reserve with a groin injury and that they have signed former Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding to replace him. Carpenter made 21-of-29 field goals for the Dolphins this season, the third year of a four-year deal he signed with the team in 2010.
It’s the second straight year that Carpenter has dealt with a groin injury, although there wasn’t a big drop in his production from past years as a result of the injury. His 81.5 percent conversion rate on field goals this season is right on track with his career mark of 81.9 percent and there wasn’t a significant difference in his work on kickoffs either.
Kaeding was released by the Chargers earlier this season after suffering a groin injury. He made all seven of his field goal attempts in the three games he played before getting the boot and has made 87 percent of his kicks over the course of his career. He’s been shakier in the postseason, but that’s not a major concern in Miami this season.