Why the Jets' Kicker Situation Is Already a Massive Concern in Week 1

Gang Green can't afford to let this issue persist.

The Jets have made it clear that their kicking competition isn't over yet, and that's a problem. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sunday marks the start of the New York Jets' 2026 regular season, beginning with a road matchup against ex-head coach Robert Saleh's Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. An offseason filled with changes and upgrades has Gang Green in a good spot to open the campaign with a win; however, it's safe to say the Jets still need to avoid certain mistakes if they want to secure the season-opening victory over their former bench boss.

With less than a week to go before the Week 1 action, you'd think that head coach Aaron Glenn would have his game plans finalized, but that isn't the case. On Tuesday afternoon, the 54-year-old head coach admitted that he's yet to decide on a starting kicker, per ESPN's Rich Cimini, and that the job—a competition between Blake Grupe and Jason Sanders—will be decided in this week's practices.

On the kicking situation, Aaron Glenn wasn't ready to name one for Sunday's game. He said he will let it play out this week in practice. Blake Grupe is on the 53, Jason Sanders on the practice squad. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 8, 2026

On the one hand, it's nice to see that Glenn isn't rushing a decision... until you realize that Week 1 action is just a few days away. No matter who emerges victorious from this battle, it's going to be hard to have much confidence in the Jets' kick situation this weekend.

Jets' kicking situation remains a problem in Week 1

The domino effect in sports is real, and the Jets learned that the hard way when Nick Folk left to join the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. The 41-year-old ageless wonder has led the NFL in field-goal percentage in each of the last three seasons, a trend that saw him go 28-of-29 (96.6%) with New York last season. Instead of doing whatever it took to keep him, the Jets let Folk walk out the door, kickstarting an offseason competition that led to more headaches than solutions.

Will Ferrin, Lenny Kreig, and Younghoe Koo were just some of the early names brought in as potential answers, only to see each leave as quickly as they arrived. Cade York was a mainstay for a large chunk of the summer, but even his time ended after Jason Sanders arrived and proved himself once training camp began. Unfortunately, Sanders quickly became a red flag himself, missing field-goal and extra-point attempts in the preseason finale, leading the Jets to send him to the practice squad and claim Blake Grupe off waivers.

Does Blake Grupe have what it takes to put an end to the Jets' ongoing kicker conundrum? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grupe has 50 NFL games under his belt and even went 11-for-11 on FG attempts with the Colts last season. At the same time, Indianapolis waived him at the end of August for a reason (2-for-4, 50.0 FG% in the preseason). Even if the Jets like their new kicker on paper, Grupe's end-of-preseason performance was concerning enough for Gang Green to work out three kickers—Justin Tucker, Michael Badgley and Josh Karty—last week. Clearly, there's a plan in place if things go wrong.

It seems like the Jets are hoping either Grupe's or Sanders's foot catches fire this week, allowing them to ride that momentum. In theory, that makes sense. In execution, it might not. Can New York really feel 100% confident that either kicker can step in and make a crucial game-winning field goal if need be this weekend? Glenn might say he does, but that would likely be a case of coach-speak.

The reality...

The truth is that, by having two kickers around, the Jets may as well have zero.

No one's confidence will increase if the competition keeps being extended. The eventual winner will instantly face pressure against the Titans in Week 1, as any mistake will come under the microscope and could lead to Gang Green bringing back one of the aforementioned tryout names for another look. It'd be hard for anyone to kick confidently with all that outside noise.

Hopefully, whoever wins this week's mini competition—whether that's Grupe or Sanders—follows it up with a mistake-free performance in Tennessee. Most of the Jets' roster is improved and ready to challenge for a playoff spot, but continued struggles from the kicking department will make that difficult and could force Gang Green to take multiple steps back rather than forward this season.

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