The New York Jets’ 2026 free agency period was widely praised. Across the board, the team filled a vast quantity of holes without any drastic overpays.

One rare aspect of the team’s free agency plan that was criticized by most fans and analysts? Their lackadaisical approach to the kicker position.

Veteran leg Nick Folk delivered a nearly impeccable season for the Jets in 2025. He connected on all but one of his 29 field goal attempts and all 22 of his extra points, while nailing a career-long 58-yard field goal to win a game. Folk also made a career-high seven field goals from 50+ yards.

It wasn’t anything new for Folk, who led the league in field goal percentage (96.6%) for the third consecutive season. As a result, Folk seemed like a reliable bet to continue kicking at a high level in 2026 and beyond, even at 41 years old.

Despite Folk’s success, the Jets seemingly did not prioritize re-signing him in free agency. Folk walked to the Atlanta Falcons on a two-year, $9 million deal with $4 million guaranteed, which is only the 14th-largest contract among kickers in terms of total guarantees.

While it is understandable that New York may have been hesitant to commit any sort of cap space to a 41-year-old kicker, the baffling part of the equation was the Jets’ initial replacement plan. After losing Folk, the Jets signed Cade York, who has made just 73.3% of his career field goal attempts in 23 games.

Things were looking bleak for the Jets’ kicker position. But shortly after the 2026 NFL draft, they found an inkling of hope in the form of undrafted free agent Will Ferrin from BYU.

Could Ferrin win the Jets’ kicker job and hold it down for years to come?

Will Ferrin profile

A product of Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, Ferrin began his college career at Boise State in 2021.

For the Broncos, Davis served as a multi-faceted specialist. Across two seasons, he did not kick any field goals, but he delivered 45 kickoffs and two punts.

Ferrin entered the transfer portal and joined BYU in 2023, where he served as the starting kicker. His debut season was unimpressive; he missed an extra point and went just 11 of 14 on field goals (78.6%), missing both of his attempts from 50+ yards.

In 2024, Ferrin enjoyed a breakout season for the Cougars. He connected on 24 of his 27 field goal attempts (88.9%), including 4 of 5 from 50+ yards, nailing a long of 54 yards. On top of that, he made all 41 of his extra points. Ferrin earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

The 2025 season saw Ferrin take a step back. He made all 49 of his extra points, but went just 23 of 30 on field goals (76.7%). While Ferrin went a respectable 4 of 6 on 50+ yard attempts, including a new career-long of 56 yards, he was horrid from 40-49 yards, making 2 of 7 tries.

As he prepares for the NFL level, Ferrin projects as a high-ceiling, low-floor type of kicking prospect. He showcased elite upside in the 2024 season. Still, it was his only impressive campaign out of six years in college. The decline he experienced in 2025 was highly concerning, especially regarding his consistency on 40-49-yard kicks.

Part of the appeal with Ferrin is that he is relatively raw coming into the league. He didn’t kick any field goals in his first two college seasons, and also received a limited sample of chances in 2023. Overall, Ferrin comes to the NFL with just 71 college field goal attempts to his name.

That makes him risky, but it also means he could have plenty of room for improvement, which is enticing when considering that he already flashed top-end potential over a full season. Perhaps with more attempts, Ferrin will smooth out his consistency on sub-50-yard attempts. There are signs of a possible upward trajectory; he set a new career-long in two straight seasons.

Or, maybe he is just an erratic kicker who will never be reliable enough to start for an NFL team.

The Jets had better hope that Ferrin is their man, as they tied their hands behind their back with the unproven duo they have elected to roll with into the spring. If Ferrin doesn’t pan out, the job will likely fall into the hands of Cade York, who has already played for seven NFL teams since 2022.

York has some interesting upside in his own right; he was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and is still just 25 years old. He has already hit 58 and 59-yard field goals in under 25 NFL games. Still, he’s already been tossed aside by six teams despite his draft pedigree, which is alarming.

It is worth noting that the Jets also have Lenny Krieg on their roster, a German native who came to the NFL in 2025 via the International Pathway Program.

At the 2025 combine, Krieg went 14 for 14 in drills, making him the only present kicker out of 12 to do so. He played in one preseason game for the Falcons, making a 57-yard kick, but missing from 53 yards.

All three members of this competition have displayed flashes of high upside, but none offers a resume that can be considered anything close to reliable. The positive sign, though, is that all three are 25 and under.

The Jets seem to be hoping that just one of these three shots in the dark will go their way. After all, you only need one kicker. If two of these kickers flame out but one fulfills their potential, the Jets will gladly take it.