Only One Free Agent Kicker Deserves Jets' Attention as Jason Sanders Implodes in Camp

As training camp continues to roll along for the New York Jets, the kicker competition remains in the spotlight as Jason Sanders and Cade York go back-and-forth each day.

While the 30-year-old Sanders made it clear that the battle between the two is far from over after going a perfect 8-of-8 on his field goal attempts on Tuesday, the same did not apply to Thursday's practice and could flip the script back in York's favor in the blink of an eye.

According to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, Sanders was a dismal 2-of-5 in Thursday's session, missing left from 47, 51 and 53 yards out. York, meanwhile, was a much better 3-of-4 with his only miss coming on a 53-yarder.

Rough go in the next round

Jason Sanders went 2/5 and missed left from 47, 51 and 53.

Cade York went 3/4 and missed from 53. https://t.co/AOQQFhnohQ
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) August 6, 2026

Sanders has hit a reliable 84.6% of his attempts in his career, but he was released by the Dolphins after missing the entire 2025 season with a hip injury and was quickly let go by the Giants after struggling in organized team activities. While he has had some bright spots, Sanders was definitely one of the biggest losers from training camp on Thursday and now finds himself in a more uncertain situation as a result.

Even if Sanders keeps trending in the right direction and bounces back from the adversity, it could still benefit the Jets to pursue a free agent who can come in and challenge York.

Twelve-year veteran Brandon McManus is certainly one who comes to mind, especially after making a career-best 95.2% (20-of-21) of his kicks two seasons ago.

Brandon McManus should be on Jets' radar amid competitive kicking battle

Sure, Sanders attempted a career-high 41 field goal attempts during his most recent full-time season in 2024 and has made this one of the most intriguing position battles on the entire team. Still, the injury concerns have been hard to ignore and Thursday's performance was not exactly the most encouraging in a highly competitive kicking competition.

As a result, the Jets should pay some attention to McManus as training camp moves along. He missed multiple games with a right quad injury last season and only went 6-of-12 from at least 40 yards out, but the motivation is certainly there after the Packers released him earlier in the offseason.

Brandon McManus grimaces. — The Jets could offer Brandon McManus the perfect bounce-back opportunity after he was released by the Packers. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Those numbers alone don't immediately jump off the page, but when you consider that McManus has made at least 80% of his attempts in seven of the last eight seasons and already has a previous connection with Jets general manager Darren Mougey during his stint with the Broncos, it is not out of the question that the kicking competition could take a new turn.

After all, York has not exactly stood out after dealing with a groin injury and struggling throughout organized team activities and minicamp, as his inconsistency continues from distance. When he last played in 2024, York was 9-of-13 (69.2%) and just 2-of-5 (40%) from at least 40 yards. Furthermore, he has only converted 7-of-11 (63%) of his field goals from 40-49 yards and 5-of-9 (55.5%) from beyond 50 yards in his career, further setting him up to potentially be kicked to the curb when all is said and done.

York may come out on top of this battle in the end, but his lack of experience and inconsistency from distance in his career still pose some concerns and could be even more reason for the Jets to go after McManus and provide an additional challenge.

There is also the possibility that Sanders regains the upper hand, but if the Jets are still uneasy about his injury or missed attempts from training camp, it would be wise to have someone as experienced as McManus at their disposal just in case.

Regardless, Sanders's struggles in Thursday's camp have created more unknowns as the Jets' kicking battle rages on. For that reason, there is no better time to bring in a veteran like McManus, especially if Sanders keeps struggling and there is still some uncertainty surrounding York.

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