Latest news with #Zuerlein
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Jets dig into their past, sign 40-year-old to help solve kicking woes
The last time the New York Jets reached the NFL playoffs was back in 2010. Their kicker that season was Nick Folk, who drilled a last-second field goal against the Indianapolis Colts to propel the Jets into the AFC Championship Game. A lot of bad things happened to the Jets and their kicking game since. So, perhaps a reunion with the 40-year-old will bring some good karma back to One Jets Drive. Or more likely, the Jets were desperate to find a dependable kicker after the underwhelming duo of Cade Davis and Harrison Mevis failed to impress so far in training camp. No matter the underlying reason, Folk signed a one-year contract with the Jets on Tuesday after a successful tryout. Davis was released. Mevis remains on the roster, likely as insurance should Folk get hurt. 'Listen, he's a very established kicker in this league,' Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after practice. 'You go back and look at his stats from the past couple of years, they've been above board. 'I've said this from the beginning: anyone that can help us win games, man, we're going to take a look at that. He was available … and I'm happy he chose us.' Glenn's not kidding about Folk's numbers being 'above board' recently. Despite his advanced age, Folk led the NFL in field goal percentage each of the past two seasons when he was with the Tennessee Titans. He converted 21 of 22 field goals last season (95.5 percent) and 29 of 30 (96.7 percent) in 2023. There's still quite a bit of boom in Folk's right leg, too. He made 11 of 12 kicks from 50+ yards the past two years, including a 56-yarder last season that matched the longest of his career. Folk did sustain an abdominal injury in 2024 and missed the final three games of the Titans season, though he's completely recovered by this point. Related: Nick Folk signs up for reunion with Jets After beginning his NFL career with three seasons as the Dallas Cowboys kicker, Folk played seven seasons for the Jets from 2010-16. His 729 points are second on the Jets' all-time list, trailing only Pat Leahy, who had 1,470 over 18 seasons in the Green and White. His 56-yard field goal in 2010 was longest in Jets history until surpassed by Chandler Catanzaro's 57-yarder in 2017 and then Greg Zuerlein's 60-yard field goal in 2022. Related: It's Zuerlein's recent demise which led to Folk's eventual reunion with the Jets. After two outstanding seasons in 2022 and 2023, the 37-year-old was injured and ineffective last season. Zuerlein appeared in only eight games. That led to a revolving door of five different kickers used by the Jets in 2024, eerily reminiscent of their woes at the position from 2017-21 — after Folk departed and before Zuerlein arrived. Folk, who also kicked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, has 242 games of NFL experience. The Jets hope at least another full season of consistency remains in his powerful right leg. Related Headlines Three Raiders Training Camp Surprises That Could Reshape Roster Bryce Harper Willing to Switch Positions if Phillies Swing Trade for Two-Time All-Star Top Phillies Bullpen Trade Targets After Emmanuel Clase, Felix Bautista Off-The-Board Cincinnati Bengals Get Positive Update on Trey Hendrickson's Holdout
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jets Continue Special Teams Purge By Cutting Kicker
The New York Jets hit the reset button after their disastrous 2024 campaign. That began before the season was over with the firings of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. Early in the offseason, they were replaced by Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, respectively. Soon after, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was granted a (short) meeting and told that there'd be a new face under center. Justin Fields will lead the Jets into battle in 2025. Advertisement Glenn and Mougey have begun reshaping the roster in their vision through free agency in the NFL Draft, and that impact has continued deep into the offseason. On May 13, New York released fan-favorite punter Thomas Morstead. Friday afternoon, the Jets' special teams purge continued when they cut kicker Greg Zuerlein. The release was a corresponding move for signing defensive end Michael Fletcher. Zuerlein spent three seasons with the Jets and had a rather inconsistent tenure. In Year 1, he hit 81.1 percent of his field goals. But after Rodgers went down and Zach Wilson piloted the offense in 2023, his heroics helped keep enough points on the board for New York to avoid disaster for much of the year, converting 35-of-38 field goals and 5-of-6 from 50+ yards. Advertisement In 2024, his age-37 season, the wheels fell off. He dealt with a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve for much of the season. Zuerlein was active for just eight games and hit a mere nine of his 15 field goal attempts. Further adding to his struggles was the circumstances in which they came. In three games last season, New York lost by fewer points than what Zuerlein left off the board with missed kicks. Depending on the designation attached to his release, New York stands to gain $2.4 million or $4.1 million (post-June 1) from the move, per Over the Cap. The Jets will move forward with kickers Anders Carlson and Caden Davis, the latter having signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft. Advertisement If this is the end for Zuerlein, he will have plenty of accomplishments to look back on. He ranks 26th on the all-time field goal leaderboard and earned All-Pro honors in 2017. Related: Jets 'Worst Team' Prediction Stings Hopeful Fans Related: Jets Announce Regular Season Schedule
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New York Jets part ways with Greg Zuerlein: From Pro Bowl Rams kicker to Cowboys hero
New York Jets part ways with Greg Zuerlein: From Pro Bowl Rams kicker to Cowboys hero The New York Jets have released kicker Greg Zuerlein, ending his three-year stint with the team. Zuerlein, 37, struggled in 2024, converting only 9 of 15 field goals (60%) while battling a recurring knee injury that placed him on injured reserve twice. This marked a sharp decline from his 2023 franchise-record 92.1% success rate. Known as 'Greg The Leg,' Zuerlein set a Jets record with a 60-yard field goal in 2022 but couldn't regain his form. The team had five different kickers on the 2024 roster, signing Greg Joseph for Week 18. Zuerlein's 14-year career began with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2012-2019), where he earned a 2017 Pro Bowl nod, posting an 82% field goal rate and a franchise-record 61-yard kick. With the Dallas Cowboys (2020-2021), he held an 82.9% success rate, including a 59-yard game-winner. Despite his past success, Zuerlein's recent struggles prompted the Jets' decision Zuerlein signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Jets last offseason, which was the biggest contract for a kicker in Jets history. He has no guaranteed money on his contract for 2025 and will be a post June 1 cut since New York has already used their two pre June 1 designations on Aaron Rodgers and CJ Mosley.
