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Former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The game of musical chairs continues.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic revealed on social media that the New York Jets are waiving veteran placekicker Younghoe Koo and are replacing him with Jason Sanders.
“Would expect it to be Sanders vs Cade York from here on out,” Rosenblatt added.
Koo signed with the Jets in late May, but was cut after struggling during OTAs.
A Proven Name Shakes Free
Sanders, 30, will turn 31 during the 2026 season.
He initially entered the league as the No. 229 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft.
The former New Mexico product spent the first eight years of his career with the rival Miami Dolphins.
Sanders missed the entire 2025 season with a hip injury, Jets editorial contributor Amanda Vogt wrote in a press release.
Most recently, Sanders had spent the last three and a half months with the crosstown New York Giants. He got cut by the Giants earlier this week after they signed a flurry of wide receivers.
Sanders is a former first-team All-Pro, he once led the NFL in scoring (2020), and he made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team in 2018.
He has appeared in 116 career games. With those opportunities, Sanders has converted 187 of his 221 attempts (84.6% conversion rate). In his most recent NFL action, Sanders converted 90.2% of his field goal attempts, going 37 of 41 in the 2024 season.
Jets Are Wasting No Time in Their Search for a New Kicker
This offseason, the green and white let Nick Folk walk out the door in free agency. He signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Folk led the NFL in field goal conversion rate for the third straight season in 2025.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast that the Jets and Folk were about $1 million apart during contract negotiations.
With Folk leaving, the Jets have been desperately trying to fill the void.
Following the 2026 NFL draft, the Jets signed former BYU placekicker Will Ferrin. That contract included just over $18,000. Following a so-so performance during rookie minicamp, the Jets cut ties and moved on.
Earlier this week, they cut German-born kicker Lenny Krieg, who struggled during practice. Now they have moved on from Koo.
The Jets are left with two kickers on the roster: Sanders and York.
This Is the Combo for the Coming Months
Rosenblatt said it’ll be Sanders versus York the rest of the way. That could be the plan for now, but things can change.
Last offseason, the Jets didn’t find their starting kicker, Nick Folk, until days into training camp in late July. The same could be true for the Jets in 2026.
ESPN New York’s Jake Asman said the Jets better know what they’re doing at placekicker or they’re setting themselves up to be criticized for their decision-making.
The Jets were terrible last season, finishing with a 3-14 record. The team figures to be better this season; it’ll be hard for them to be any worse. If you are a better team, you figure to be in closer games, which puts an intense spotlight on the kicker situation.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
