Jets' Cade York Free-Agent Signing Underscores Nick Folk Loss

Hard to replace Mr. Consistency...

Jan 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals place kicker Cade York (3) kicks a field goal from the hold of punter Ryan Rehkow (8) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The New York Jets reportedly agreed to sign a kicker on Wednesday, but that doesn't mean they found "the guy."

According to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Jets and kicker Cade York agreed to a one-year deal on Wednesday. York should get the first crack at replacing veteran Nick Folk, whose second stint with the Jets at age 41 only lasted one year, but was a smashing success.

Folk joining the Atlanta Falcons left the Jets with a void, and the 25-year-old York doesn't have the track record that suggests he can fill it. But NFL kicking is such a volatile concept that just by virtue of acting, the Jets made a step in the right direction.

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York's numbers vs. Folk's tell very interesting stories

New York Jets place kicker Nick Folk (6) warms up during a week 14 football game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Folk, the Jets knew what they had. For the last three seasons, the 18-year veteran has led all kickers in field goal percentage. He made 28 of his 29 kicks for the Jets this past season, and it's not as if they were all chip shots, either. He made seven of eight kicks from 50-plus yards, including a new career-long of 58.

Even as he entered his age-42 season, the Falcons saw Folk as a legitimate weapon, and he could prove to be a significant loss for New York. Enter York, who was once seen as a good enough kicking prospect to garner a rare fourth-round pick, but has yet to establish himself as a proven NFL starter.

In the last four seasons, York has joined six organizations, but only played in games for three. He's 33-for-45, a career 73.3% field goal rate, for the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Washington Commanders. He has also signed with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and New Orleans Saints on the practice squad.

Succeeding and failing as an NFL kicker is such a razor-thin margin that one change of scenery can sometimes make all the difference. That absolutely could mean York breaks out in his opportunity with the Jets.

But going from a relatively sure thing in Folk to a touch-and-go situation at a position that always winds up mattering could also be a real issue.