One of the few positives from the New York Jets’ horrific 2025 season was their electric special teams unit.
However, history shows that sustaining elite success on special teams over multiple seasons is difficult, largely because these units tend to undergo significant turnover each offseason.
This offseason, the Jets should look to bring back as many key contributors to their special teams unit as possible, including kicker Nick Folk. The question, though, has been whether the 41-year-old kicker even wants to continue playing in 2026.
That question seems to be no more.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, despite speculation that he could hang up the cleats this offseason, Folk “plans” to play in 2026, which will mark his 19th NFL season.
Some kickers begin to lose their stride as they enter their late 30s and early 40s. The Jets witnessed this with Greg Zuerlein. However, as Folk has gotten older, he has only improved.
Since 2023, Folk holds the NFL’s highest field goal conversion rate at 96.3%, while drilling 18 of his 20 attempts from beyond 50 yards (90%).
With the Jets in 2025, Folk missed just one field goal, while finishing second among kickers in field goal percentage at 96.6%, trailing only San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro (96.9%).
From 50+ yards last season, the 41-year-old was near automatic, drilling seven of his eight tries (87.5%) while hitting a 56-yard game-winner in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Per Spotrac, Folk’s market value is expected to be $4.8 million. It would currently rank as the 12th-highest salary among kickers.
After an outstanding 2025 season following the nightmarish kicking woes that haunted the Jets in 2024, re-signing Folk must be a priority for Gang Green.
