And Then There Was One

Jason Sanders faced quite a challenging situation. He had to navigate through a crowded training camp with Cade York pushing for his spot. On top of that, he had to keep an eye on the Jets trying out eight-time All-Pro Justin Tucker. After a rough preseason, he needed to establish himself early to fend off competition from Blake Grupe, who was brought in after Sanders was initially released but then re-signed to the practice squad.

“It’s just part of the game,” said Sanders recently. “If you’re not making kicks, they’re going to look for someone else.”

With the Rams signing Grupe off the Jets’ practice squad, Sanders is now the sole kicking option for Aaron Glenn.

At this point, it seems he is all they need.

After sitting out last season due to a hip injury, the former All-Pro kicker for the Dolphins seems to have regained his confidence. He has successfully made eight out of nine field goals and seven out of eight extra-point attempts so far this season.

Interestingly, Sanders has now hit seven consecutive field goals, bouncing back nicely after missing a 54-yarder in Tennessee during Week 1.

“It’s good to be back out there proving myself again,” he reflected. “You really can sense if people believe in you or not. I can definitely feel their belief in me.”

Initially signed by the Giants in March after eight years in Miami, Sanders was released in June and then joined the Jets, who had moved on from Nick Folk in free agency.

Though he was seen as the front-runner at camp, Sanders’s position became precarious after some struggles, including a missed extra point and a 54-yard attempt that fell short during a preseason game against the Giants.

Fast forward less than two months, and Sanders nailed a season-long 54-yard field goal right down the middle—comfortably—in the fourth quarter against the Browns.

“When you’re practicing, it’s not quite the same as getting live reps,” Sanders explained. “It took me a bit, but I feel like I’m in a good place now. I just feel more confident. I can sense that confidence growing. The more you can let go, week by week, the easier it is to find your rhythm.”

With no one else left to contest his role except himself, he seems to have a clear path forward.

“You can really see the way he approaches everything every day—it boosts our confidence too,” special teams coordinator Chris Banjo noted. “Honestly, we felt good about him from the beginning. Everyone faces challenges, but I think he’s really in a solid spot right now.”

“Whenever we send him out there, we trust he’s going to put points on the board, and he’s been doing great at that.”