Kicker Jason Sanders Finds His Groove After Intense Competition with Jets

New York Jets kicker Jason Sanders has found his rhythm after a challenging training camp and early season performance, successfully converting seven consecutive field goals. This streak follows a period where his position with the team was uncertain.

Sanders faced competition from Cade York during training camp and even saw the Jets bring in veteran Justin Tucker for a tryout. He also had to contend with Blake Grupe, who was initially claimed off waivers and then re-signed to the practice squad. The situation intensified when the Rams signed Grupe, leaving Sanders as the sole kicker on the Jets' active roster.

"It's just part of the game," Sanders said. "If you're not making kicks, they're gonna try and find someone that will."

After missing the entire previous season due to a hip injury, the former Dolphins All-Pro has demonstrated a resurgence. This season, he has made eight of nine field goal attempts and seven of eight extra-point tries. His current streak of successful field goals began after missing a 54-yard attempt in Week 1 against Tennessee.

"It's good to be back out there and prove myself again," Sanders stated. "You can feel if people believe in you or not. They definitely believe in me."

Sanders joined the Jets in March after an eight-year tenure with the Dolphins. However, he was released by the Giants in June before signing with the Jets. Despite being the front-runner in training camp, his performance in practice and a preseason game against the Giants, where he missed an extra point and a 54-yard field goal that fell short, put his job at risk.

His recent performance has shown marked improvement, including drilling a season-best 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of a win against the Browns. "When you're practicing, it's not the same as you getting live reps," Sanders explained. "It took a while, but I think I'm in a good spot here. I just feel better and more confident. I can feel the confidence growing. When you can be more confident and finally let go, the more the weeks go on, the more you get into a groove."

Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo expressed confidence in Sanders, noting his consistent approach and performance. "The way he's been going about it on a day-to-day basis, you kind of feel the confidence from him and that makes us confident too," Banjo said. "To be honest, we've been confident from the moment he got in here. Guys are always working through something, but I think he's in a good spot right now. Whenever we've sent him out there, we've felt really good about him putting points on the board and he's been doing a great job of that."