Cade York Is Already Proving That Jets' Kicker Competition Is Only Getting Started

York's early offseason blunders seem to be a thing of the past.

Cade York's latest practice performance showed why Jets fans shouldn't write him off just yet. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jets' kicking room has been a revolving door these last few months. Since letting Nick Folk—who led the NFL in field-goal accuracy for the third consecutive season—walk in free agency, Jets general manager Darren Mougey brought in Will Ferrien, Younghoe Koo, Lenny Krieg, Jason Sanders, and Cade York to compete for the kicking job. 

Entering training camp, the competition has been narrowed down to Sanders and York. Since being claimed off waivers by the Jets in June, Sanders has been viewed as the favorite to win the job thanks to his experience as the Dolphins’ starting kicker for seven seasons—a tenure highlighted by his being named first-team All-Pro in 2020. It helped that York had a less-than-stellar minicamp in June, filled with misses.

While Sanders’ resume strengthens his case, past success alone won’t win the starting job. He’ll still need to prove himself to the coaching staff by consistently performing well throughout training camp. Through the first two practices, however, York has done everything he can to prove that the competition is far from over. 

Cade York’s perfect day strengthens case to win starting job

On Thursday, both kickers started the session by converting on field goals from 34, 36, and 39 yards. They each followed with makes from 41 and 44 yards, but York would go on to win the day by nailing a 47-yard field goal, while Sanders missed his attempt from the same distance, according to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. 

Cade York made from 41, 44, 47.

Jason Sanders made from 41 and 44 but missed from 47. https://t.co/Y31rxrnmnW

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) July 30, 2026

With York connecting on all six of his attempts, he’s firmly positioned himself as a serious contender the Jets can’t overlook. 

York’s perfect day was an encouraging sign; however, it’s still early to declare him the new favorite. He must continue to replicate his strong play throughout training camp and capitalize on Sanders’ misses. 

Still, Thursday’s performance was an important step for York in building his case. 

Cade York must still overcome past inconsistencies

Selected in the fourth round by the Browns in the 2022 NFL Draft, York entered the league with high expectations. The former LSU Tiger standout possessed one of the strongest legs in his class, nailing 81.8% of his field goals and 97.6% of his extra-point attempts while earning multiple All-SEC honors. 

However, his NFL career has been plagued with inconsistencies. After a solid rookie season, York failed to maintain similar success and has since bounced around the league before landing with Gang Green. He hasn't kicked in the regular season since he was with the Commanders and Bengals in 2024—a year that saw him go 9-of-13 (69.2%) on field-goal attempts.

Will Cade York prove that his training camp success isn't just a flash in the pan? | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With his impressive play early in camp, York has given himself an opportunity to potentially make New York his home. His path towards earning the job won’t be easy, as Sanders established himself as one of the more reliable kickers during his tenure with the Dolphins. 

Despite this, Sanders comes with some recent concerns. The California native was sidelined for the entire 2025 season with a hip injury and was released by Miami after the season. Sanders would go on to sign with the Giants, where he was widely expected to win the starting job, but multiple missed kicks in organized team activities led to his release. 

Even though Sanders has been a dependable kicker in the past, his hip injury and poor play in the offseason should raise concerns about whether he can return to his prior form. 

Besides the one miss, Sanders looked good on Thursday. That said, if he’s going to miss kicks consistently, the door will be wide open for York to win the job. 

At the same time, York can’t just rely on Sanders’ misses to win the battle. He’ll have to prove himself by converting on kicks inside 50 yards, which has been an area of inconsistency in his career, making 21-of-25 (84.0%) attempts in that range, while Sanders has made 98-of-102 (96.1%).

The Jets need a long-term solution to their kicking problem, and taking a chance on York could pay off if he can be consistent.