Two years ago, the New York Jets had one of the best kicker-punter duos in the game.
Things change quickly in the NFL.
Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead each had one of the worst seasons of their respective careers last season. Under a new regime, both were released during the offseason.
Now, the Jets are having a competition to see who will take over for the aging veterans in 2025, and they just moved to alter that competition as well.
Meet the new guy
The Jets announced the release of kicker Anders Carlson Wednesday morning to go along with the signing of Harrison Mevis, widely known as the “Thiccer Kicker.”
Mevis comes with plenty of pedigree, at least outside of the NFL world. He made 20-21 attempts during the 2025 UFL season with the Birmingham Stallions.
While he has never kicked in an NFL game, he did spend time with the Carolina Panthers earlier in the 2024 season.
Outside of the jokes about Mevis’ stocky build, the Jets’ kicking competition now rests on a UFL star and undrafted free agent Caden Davis. The Ole Miss product recorded 43-56 through his career while going 24-29 last season.
Throughout offseason workouts, Carlson appeared to do better in game situations. He was more consistent than Davis in kicks over 40 yards.
Why Carlson, not Davis?
So, why was Carlson released instead of Davis?
The former Packers and 49ers kicker went 8-10 from field goals for the Jets last year in place of Zuerlein. New York may want to allow younger kickers to compete for a starting role over a veteran like Carlson.
Just because Mevis was brought into the fold doesn’t mean the competition is only between Davis and him. Last season, the Washington Commanders went through multiple kickers during the preseason before signing Austin Seibert to a deal after the Jets released him before the regular season began.
A similar situation could happen here as well.
The Jets had multiple games last season that came down to poor play from their kicker. Just because they have signed a UFL star who should endear himself to fans, does not mean he will be guaranteed a starting role.
There’s still a chance that the team’s starting kicker may not be on the roster to begin the season. At the very least, Mevis should make things fun during training camp.
