The Jets are headed for another kicker competition. And that’s where the similarities to last year end.
After previously retaining restricted free agent Eddy Pineiro, the Jets bolstered the depth chart on Saturday by signing veteran and former Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein.
That gives the Jets two kickers with a combined 295 career field goals made—Zuerlein with 265 of them—after having two kickers in last year’s training camp with none on their resumes at the time. Ultimately, Matt Ammendola won the job over Chris Naggar, but Ammendola was released after making just 13-of-19 field goals in 11 games. Naggar later appeared in one game for the Browns.
Pineiro replaced Ammendola and settled things down by making all eight of his field goal attempts and was 9-for-10 on PATs. The Jets tendered a one-year, $2.43 million contract to Pineiro and thus have the right of first refusal if another team tries to sign him. The tender carries no dead salary-cap space if he is released.
The job is up for grabs now.
Zuerlein was released by the Cowboys as a salary-cap casualty earlier this month. He was set to earn $2.25 million after missing a career-high six PATs last season. Zuerlein made 82.9 percent of his field goals in both of his seasons with Dallas after eight seasons with the Rams.
Zuerlein was a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2017 and sent the Rams to Super Bowl LIII by drilling a walk-off 57-yard field goal in overtime to cap a 4-for-4 performance in the NFC Championship. Nicknamed “Greg the Leg,” Zuerlein also made a 53-yarder in the Super Bowl (before a late-game miss) and has a career-long of 61 yards in 2015.
The Jets have been searching for a kicker ever since Pro Bowler Jason Myers signed with the Seahawks in 2019.
