It took four weeks into the regular season for the New York Jets to finally commit to a kicker.
According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets have waived Blake Grupe and signed Jason Sanders to the team’s 53-man roster, indicating that he has done enough to be the team’s lone kicker on the roster.
The Jets’ kicking carousel this year has been one for the ages. After cycling through a myriad of options, the Jets announced Sanders as their kicker two days ahead of the team’s preseason finale. In the final preseason game, though, he struggled, leaving a 54-yard field goal short and missing an extra point.
After that, the team claimed Grupe off waivers, who lost the Indianapolis Colts’ kicking battle to Spencer Shrader. To make room, the team released Sanders and brought him back on the practice squad. Unlike Grupe, a veteran, he didn’t need to clear waivers and could go straight to the practice squad.
Despite being on the practice squad, Sanders was named the Jets’ opening day kicker and has done a fine job in the role. He has made five of his six field goal attempts (83.3%), including makes from 51 and 52 yards, although he had an ugly miss from 54 yards in Week 1. He has also been successful on all five of his extra point attempts.
Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions marked the Jets’ third elevation of Sanders to the active roster, which is the maximum number of times that a player can be elevated from the practice squad in one season. That forced the team to add Sanders to the active roster and move on from Grupe.
Hopefully for New York, this is the last transaction involving a kicker for the remainder of the season.
