The Hidden Risk the NY Giants' Signing Jason Sanders Creates

The New York Giants cannot become a good team until they break bad patterns. The kicker position has caused anxiety for years, with Graham Gano's frequent injuries being a major factor. Health and stability are essential in this crucial special teams role.

Former All-Pro Jason Sanders, who signed a one-year deal with New York after seven seasons with Miami, should upgrade the position over aging Gano and recent alternatives. He has range and usually makes "the easy kicks."

There is a red flag, however, and it is one the franchise and its fans have seen before. Sanders missed the entire 2025 campaign with a hip injury.

It is perfectly reasonable to highlight the obvious value the 30-year-old can bring to Big Blue, but one cannot focus solely on the numbers and disregard the potential drawbacks of this move. The Giants gambled on health before and lost multiple games because of it.

Organizations cannot let past mistakes completely dictate their future decisions, but they must also be mindful not to repeat history.

Considering Gano has played just 23 games across the last three seasons, it is certainly notable that New York is signing a kicker who spent the entire year on the shelf.

Are the Giants asking for trouble? Or, do they deserve credit for not overreacting?

The answer to that question could actually determine just how much this squad improves next season. Do not let his position fool you, Jason Sanders is an X-factor.

The NY Giants are trusting Sanders to display his pre-injury form

Jason Sanders attempts an extra point for Dolphins — Aug 16, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders (7) kicks an extra point against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Given Sanders' line of work, a hip injury may lead to lingering struggles and physical limitations. One mishap could trigger a troubling sequence of misfortune. New York has already experienced such a scenario.

Sanders is his own man, however. He is not Graham Gano. The latter is several years older, and the former never missed a game before last season. Perhaps this fan base will be spared a brutal case of deja vu.

Sanders' pre-injury track record inspires plenty of optimism. He converted 37-of-41 field goal attempts and was 26-of-28 on extra points during the 2024-25 campaign. His long-distance prowess is especially relevant.

Sanders drilled 12-of-14 kicks from 50-plus yards out in that same season. The importance of having a dependable kicker with a big leg is hard to overstate. It can be the difference between a bitterly disappointing year and a playoff berth. Just ask John Harbaugh.

Given how his final game with the Baltimore Ravens ended -- Tyler Loop missed a game-winning 44-yard field goal versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 -- the new Giants head coach will probably be skeptical when it comes to largely unproven kickers.

Undrafted rookie Ben Sauls was perfect for New York last season, but his longest field goal was a 45-yarder. Sanders has been under pressure many times during his NFL career, and he has emerged as one of the better players at his position.

Big Blue brass believes that will remain true when he returns from injury and makes his Giants debut this September. It will not take much to set fans off, however. If Jason Sanders wobbles out of the gate, the words "Not again!" will echo throughout East Rutherford.

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